


Hero

by Sameya



Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: M/M, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-06
Updated: 2016-10-07
Packaged: 2018-01-14 20:30:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 23,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1277962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sameya/pseuds/Sameya
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cloud gets a chance to set things right.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Standard Disclaimer: This is fanfiction - I don't own any of this and I'm not making any money from it.

Cloud pushed his goggles further back on his head and examined the familiar terrain. Squinting a bit, he could just make out Edge in the distance. If he pushed hard, he could be there by nightfall. He frowned, sitting back on the bike. He didn’t want to go back to the house he shared with Tifa and the kids. 

Though he had been gone a week, part of him wished he could stay away longer. He wanted to be desperate to get back. He loved them. He even missed them in a vague, disconnected way. Cloud sighed. They deserved better. They deserved someone who wasn’t relieved to be heading out the door every other day.

It wasn’t even anything they had done. Life had been quiet for too long and not long enough. Running deliveries wasn’t the most glamorous job but it kept him occupied, put food on the table, and gave him the time he was sure he needed to think. He kept hoping that given enough peace and quiet, whatever was bothering him would work its way to the surface. Since geostigma and the last world saving face off with Sephiroth, everything felt mildly out of joint - like something had been amputated and he couldn’t quite find his balance again. Edge didn’t feel like home. It was just the next place to be.

Giving in to the swirl of discomfort, he turned his bike away from the city and hit the gas. One more night to himself wouldn’t hurt. For a short time, he lost himself in dodging boulders and listening to the well-tuned hum of the powerful engine. Testing his mako-sharpened reflexes against something real still felt good. It had been years since he’d had another swordsman to spar with. Driving at break-neck speed through unforgiving terrain was as close as he could get these days.

The rest of the drive passed in an eye-blink. He parked a short way away from his destination. The last pink band of sunset was fading as he spread his bedroll out beside the place he thought of as Zack’s shrine. He pulled off his gloves and goggles and stretched out on his back. Closing his eyes, he reached out and rested one hand against the flat of the old buster sword. It was rusted and gritty from long exposure to the elements, but it still felt familiar.

\--

Soft golden light slanted through the hole in the ceiling and filtered through the stained glass in tiny rainbows. The daffodils swayed slowly in the gentle breeze, pushing their way up through the floorboards around the pond and filling the air with a clean, living scent. He sat down among them, drinking in the rare feeling of peace. He allowed himself to drift with it, letting the confusion and inner turmoil settle.

After a time, he caught the faint scent of roses among the daffodils. Cloud closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. He was sure he would know that smell anywhere no matter how long it had been. Fairly certain he was dreaming, the sound of an equally familiar and beloved voice didn’t come as much of a surprise.

“They’re not supposed to be dead you know. This wasn’t the way it should have worked out.”

“They who?”

“You know who I’m talking about, silly,” she leaned forward and flicked him gently on the nose, “It’s not like you’ve forgotten any more than I have.” She tossed her bangs out of her face and smiled ruefully up at him. Gaea, he’d missed her. “It’s mostly my fault, I think. I got in the way and didn’t even realize. Oh well. Always easiest to see backwards.”

“You’ve lost me,” he smiled down at the woman who had been – was – one of his dearest friends.

“Zack and Sephiroth.” 

His eyes widened and he stared at her in disbelief. “Aerith,” he spoke cautiously, half afraid she would vanish when he said her name aloud, “Zack’s been gone a long time and after everything that’s happened I’m pretty sure Sephiroth will never die completely.”

“Not true, Cloud. He’s gone now,” the Ancient sighed sadly, “Truly gone from the world.”

Cloud would have expected to feel relief at hearing that, but instead he just felt even more lost. He supposed it meant he could stop worrying about the next battle and settle into running deliveries and helping Tifa out with Denzel and Marlene… for the rest of his life. The world was finally safe. So why did it seem like there was nothing left for him?

Cloud stood there in silence, head bowed. Aeris ruffled his soft blond hair understandingly. “What do I do now?” he asked finally, voice breaking on an emotion he didn’t have a name for, “And what does it matter that they’re not supposed to be gone? They are.” 

“I have a request. I know you’ve been feeling out of place. In a way, you are. Your path has always been entwined with theirs. With them gone, there’s nothing to anchor you here.”

“That doesn’t sound like a request, Aerith,” he shook his head, not liking how hopeless that had sounded.

“I was getting there,” she swatted playfully at him, “Don’t be so impatient. Do you really think I came here to tell you how lost and lonely you are? As if.” She put her hands on her hips and glared at him. “I want you to go back and make it right for you and for them. Find them. Change the way things happened. Keep them alive and sane.”

“Go…back?” Cloud stared at her, dumbfounded, “That’s possible?” An image of Zack Fair’s smiling face flashed before his eyes. Cloud blinked against the sudden sting of unshed tears. To see Zack again… To live in a world where he hadn’t been killed… where Cloud was finally strong enough to save them both.

“It’s possible this once, but only if you consent.” Aerith held up a hand as he opened his mouth agree, “You haven’t heard the downside yet.” Serious green eyes stared intently into his, “If you do this you’ll never be able to come back. You will live out the rest of your life in the new future you create – you as you are now and your younger self. If you are killed there, that’s it. No more chances. Don’t answer me now. Think about it carefully. If you want to go for it, meet me at the church.” She leaned forward and planted a kiss squarely on his forehead.

\---

He slowed the bike as soon as the tires hit pavement instead of packed earth. It wouldn’t do to take out innocent pedestrians just because he wasn’t paying attention. Still, if the streets hadn’t been crowded, he could have driven back to the house with his eyes closed.

Somewhere near the center of town, he found himself turning off on a side road instead. Almost without conscious thought on his part, the church appeared ahead of him. It had been too long since his last visit. Cloud parked the bike out front and walked in. It looked the same as it always did. He smiled.

The dream the night before had unsettled him. He had a hard time separating Aerith’s actual visits from things his mind made up on its own. Being given the chance to fix everything seemed like it must be the latter. It was too much to hope for.

“Aerith?” He called out anyway. Silence greeted him. Cloud sighed, picking his way over the tumbled stone to the edge of the small pond that still took up the back half of the church. Sunlight sparkled on the water. “I’ll go.” Cloud spoke softly. “If there’s any way that last night was more than a dream, I’ll do it.” He ran his hands over his face.

Something moved behind him and he whirled around. The stone under his foot gave out as he twisted and he plunged into the water. A current that he was sure hadn’t been there before tugged at him from below. He thrashed, fighting against it. His head struck the rock at the edge of the pond. His vision blurred and his ears rang.

Disoriented, he stopped fighting. The water closed over his head. He tasted blood and wondered vaguely just how hard he’d hit his head. He was dizzy, though from lack of oxygen or the head wound he wasn’t sure. The light above him was fading as he was pulled deeper. He struggled weakly and finally went still. His lungs were burning and he was losing the fight to stay conscious. He opened his mouth, unable to keep from gasping for air.

Everything stopped. He was floating, but he could breathe. He was no longer wet and the pain in his head faded into the background. The pale green ribbons of the Lifestream wrapped around him, tingling where they brushed against his skin. He reached out, no longer afraid. If this was death, no wonder Aerith never complained.

Just as he was getting comfortable, the world slammed back into being with the force of a runaway train. Cloud coughed and spat out a mouthful of blood. He was laying on something cold and dry. He rolled onto his back, wheezing as he tried to recover from being hit in the head and well and thoroughly drowned. He cracked his eyes open for a moment before clenching them shut against the harsh, artificial lighting. Maybe he’d just lie here a few minutes longer. His head spun dizzily even with his eyes shut. He felt unconsciousness looming and knew this time there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it.

\--

Angeal had tried not to watch the clock. Really tried. And yet, he had seen the little green numbers turn over every hour between 2200 and 0200. So much for getting some extra sleep. Genesis would laugh his head off if he were here after all of the crap he had given Angeal about getting old and going to bed so early. Zack would probably just suggest that the time would have been better spent at a club or pranking one of the other senior officers. It was a moot point since both of them were most likely sleeping soundly in their own beds while he was wrestling with insomnia.

He picked up the phone, half tempted to call Sephiroth. Angeal was nearly convinced that he never slept. Still, on the off chance the other man was actually getting some rest, Angeal didn’t want to be the one to interrupt it. His friend had been looking tired lately, though Gaea knew it hadn’t slowed his reflexes any. The bruises he’d picked up from their sparring session earlier had proven that.

Getting up and throwing on his last clean uniform, Angeal headed out to prowl the halls. It was way past curfew for the cadets who weren’t on guard duty and everything was quiet. He took the stairs down three floors to the training center with a half-formed idea of beating the shit out of some training programs until he got tired enough to try sleeping again.

Much to his surprise, a light was on in one of the training rooms. He shook his head, smiling slightly. He’d be interested to see which of the cadets was putting in a few extra hours. He’d chew them out for getting caught after curfew, of course, but it was always good to know who cared enough to lose sleep over practice time. 

Stifling his grin, the first class Soldier stepped into the doorway with his best stern and commanding look on. He stopped, unprepared for the sight of a vaguely familiar looking young man lying flat out on the floor. Perhaps a drunken escapade then? Angeal was significantly less amused by that possibility. Drunken cadets who couldn’t even make it back to their bunks weren’t something he wanted to deal with at two o’clock in the morning.

A sharp coppery scent caught his attention a second before he opened his mouth to bellow at the boy to get up. He looked more carefully at the cadet. Blood stained the too-pale lips and trickled down one fair-skinned cheek. In a moment, Angeal was kneeling next to the boy. He picked up a slender wrist, checking for a pulse. He sighed in relief when he found it there and steady. Outside of the pallor and bloody lip, the boy seemed fine – if still unconscious.

Blue eyes fluttered open and Angeal sat back in surprise as mako light shown out from under long eyelashes. He would have sworn he knew all the Soldiers who had recently gotten mako treatments. This one was definitely young enough that he should have seen him in class or training. Not to mention the boy was more than pretty enough to stick in anyone’s memory. He couldn’t imagine how he’d made it as a Soldier and why Angeal hadn’t heard about it. 

The boy was small for a Soldier. He was built lighter than even Genesis and Gen had certainly had his fair share of trouble developing the strength necessary to keep up with himself and Sephiroth. Small and pretty wasn’t a good combination around here. At the cadet level, the teasing was endless and the hazing worse. Gen had been lucky in that he was strong enough to wipe the floor with anyone who pushed it too far. And Angeal had always watched his back for him.

The boy couldn’t be Soldier. He must have been exposed to mako some other way. Which still didn’t explain what he was doing in the training center of ShinRa Co. in the middle of the night.

“Z-Zack?” Angeal nearly missed it, the young man’s voice was so soft and he’d been so busy staring.

“No,” he answered, wondering how Zack had managed to make friends without Angeal hearing about it. Not that he’d been stalking his protégé. He didn’t need to. Until now he would have said that Zack told him absolutely everything and then some.

The reaction to Angeal’s voice was unexpected and immediate. The young man rolled to his feet so quickly that Angeal found himself re-thinking his decision that the boy wasn’t Soldier. He didn’t go for any weapons – he didn’t have any on him that Angeal could see – but his posture was balanced and defensive. It wasn’t quite suited for hand-to-hand but if the young man had had a sword it would have made perfect sense. 

“Who are you?” the young man’s voice wasn’t soft any longer. It was still quiet but there was a hard, wary edge that made Angeal tack a few years on to his estimate of the young man’s age. He studied the boy more closely. The blue eyes didn’t seem to be focusing well which would explain why he’d mistaken Angeal for Zack at first. 

“Angeal. And you are?” Angeal didn’t like feeling off balance and the entire situation wasn’t adding up at all. As soon as he got the boy to stand down, he was calling Zack, beauty sleep be damned.

“Commander Hewley? I-I’d forgotten…” Some of the tension left the boy’s body and he swayed slightly. Angeal stepped forward in time to catch him as he stumbled. He weighed more than Angeal expected.

“What’s your name, kid?” he asked again, trying to keep his voice gentle. This kept getting stranger and stranger.

“Cloud. Cloud Strife.” Eyes closed and the young man’s head fell forward onto Angeal’s shoulder. Scooping him up, Angeal headed out the door. Infirmary first then a chat with his protégé. There were questions that needed answering.

\--

“Perhaps I’m mistaken but isn’t one’s date supposed to be conscious for the dragging them back to your room part?” The familiar deep voice drawled the words mockingly.

Angeal groaned as he caught the undercurrent of amusement in his friend’s harsh tone. It was a hell of a time for Sephiroth's sense of humor to rear its very rare head. “Found him unconscious in Training Room 3,” he answered shortly, “He said his name was Cloud Strife and mentioned Zack.”

“He said all of that while unconscious?” One silver eyebrow arched haughtily, “Truly a catch.” Angeal resisted the urge to groan again. Dealing with Seph in a mood was almost worse than when Genesis went off on a tear. Almost.

“Obviously not,” he sent a sharp look in Sephiroth’s direction. Cloud twitched in Angeal’s arms, sighing softly and turning his face into the man’s chest. In spite of himself, Angeal tightened his arms protectively. Sephiroth’s eyes narrowed and he reached forward, brushing a lock of blond hair back from Cloud’s temple. A dark bruise was blooming on the pale skin.

“Cadet hazing?” the tone in the silver-haired man’s voice was cold. Angeal knew full well that Sephiroth had never suffered from the kind of attention that involved being pushed around by one’s peers. The man had been entirely too intimidating for that for at least as long as Angeal had known him. Still, the General didn’t approve of Soldier trainees wasting time on trivial matters. Though thinking about it, Angeal was fairly sure he didn’t approve of trainees who let themselves be pushed around either.

“I don’t know. I don’t think so. I was hoping the infirmary could tell me more. He wasn’t conscious for very long. He’s been exposed to mako somehow or other, but I don’t recognize him.”

“He’s too small for Soldier,” Sephiroth answered, studying Cloud with renewed interest. He’d never bothered to keep track of any but the first class Soldiers. Angeal, on the other hand, knew most of them. If he said the boy wasn’t Soldier, then he likely wasn’t. “Let me know what they have to say.” Conversation finished as far as he was concerned, Sephiroth turned and continued down the hall.

Angeal sighed and started walking in the direction of the infirmary again. Seph was in a strange mood and it wasn’t the first time lately. He and Genesis both had been short-fused and more mercurial than usual. Juggling Cloud and keying his way through the infirmary door, Angeal wondered if he’d missed something. Maybe they’d had another fight.

His thoughts were interrupted by the medic and the next several minutes were spent arranging Cloud on the exam table and attaching various diagnostic machines. Angeal watched out of the corner of his eye as the scanner identified the patient and brought up his Shinra record on one of the computer screens: 

CLOUD STRIFE 

BRANCH: INFANTRY

AGE: 16

STATUS: ACTIVE

An infantry grunt? Angeal supposed that explained the defensive reaction in the training center as well as where he might have met Zack. Zack talked to everyone and anyone around. Sixteen seemed young to have developed that kind of musculature but the picture matched the young man lying on the table. Something seemed slightly off about it, but Angeal doubted there were two men who looked like that running around Shinra. Someone definitely would have noticed if there had been. Too pretty by half.

Pulling out his phone, he hit the speed dial for Zack’s number and took a few steps away from the medic.

“Wa? Hm? ” Angeal’s lips twitched as a very sleepy Zack answered the phone. 

“Do you know an infantryman by the name of Cloud Strife?” Angeal asked without preamble.

“Angeal?” Consciousness was starting to work its way into Zack’s voice. 

“Who else?”

“It’s three AM, man. Is this important?”

Angeal waited a few moments without speaking. He checked his watch. Three, two, one…

“Sorry. Didn’t mean that. Of course it’s important if you’re calling.”

“Strife, Puppy.” Angeal reminded him. The kid had the attention span of a goldfish sometimes.

“Uh. Doesn’t ring any bells.”

“Why don’t you come down to the infirmary and see if his face does. He seems to know you.” If Zack had seen Cloud before, Angeal was fairly sure he’d remember. Zack never forgot a pretty face regardless of gender and Cloud seemed like just his type. Angeal really hoped he wasn’t about to be treated to the fallout of some drunken fling or other that his student had gotten himself into. People seemed to fall for Zack without Zack even noticing.

“Seriously?” Zack groaned but didn’t wait for an answer, “Yeah, yeah. I know. You wouldn’t ask otherwise. Be down in a few.”

Angeal hung up and found a chair. This had the potential to be more interesting than anything should be in the wee hours of the morning with no sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

The biting scent of infirmary disinfectant woke him and Cloud had to clamp down on an irrational surge of panic. He really hated medical facilities. He had spent too long as Hojo’s lab rat to feel any other way. Cloud’s thoughts felt sluggish as he tried to piece together how he’d ended up here – wherever here was. Aerith and her strange offer came to mind first, followed by a man who had reminded him strongly of Zack. It wasn’t that they looked alike beyond the dark hair and mako eyes. The similarity had been deeper than that. He vaguely remembered asking the man his name. What had he said?

Hewley. Angeal Hewley. Soldier first class. Commander. Zack’s mentor and the original owner of the Buster Sword. Zack had told him a few stories and he’d seen some pictures. His normally talkative friend hadn’t told him much and Cloud could only assume his silence had something to do with Angeal’s betrayal.

Cloud himself hadn’t been with Shinra long when Genesis and then Angeal had defected and thrown the whole of the ShinRa military into confusion. He’d been there just long enough to have been turned down as a Soldier candidate. He had planned on reapplying, but circumstances hadn’t allowed for that. They probably wouldn’t have taken him anyway. He had been downright clumsy and clueless back then. Not to mention he’d been even shorter than he was now. That last growth spurt had taken forever to come.

There was a soft woosh as the door slid open. Cloud kept his eyes shut and his breathing slow. He hadn’t been tied down, but he didn’t want to try his luck. This was still Shinra and Soldier he was dealing with and he hadn’t even begun to come up with a believable explanation for being unconscious in the training center mako infused and ten or twelve years older than he was supposed to be. That was going to take either some serious talking or a serious disappearing act. Maybe both.

“So, Angeal, I’m here. What’s-whoa.”

Cloud’s heart gave a sudden painful thump. Tears sprang to his eyes. There had never been a sound in the world he wanted to hear more than that voice. It took everything he had not to get up and throw himself into Zack’s arms.

A warm, calloused hand brushed his cheek and Cloud couldn’t keep up the pretense of unconsciousness any longer. He opened his eyes and realized that in spite of all of his efforts to keep it fresh, his memory of Zack had faded over time. There was so much life in the eyes that stared down into his. He had forgotten just how the slight quirk of Zack’s lips seemed to invite everyone to share in the joke. He’d forgotten how just having Zack around made him feel noticed and safe and worthwhile.

\--

Zack trotted down the hall towards the infirmary, trying to decide if this was Angeal’s idea of a joke. He had told his mentor time and time again that he needed to lighten up, but weird calls at three o’clock in the morning hadn’t quite been what he’d had in mind. Come to think of it, he really couldn’t imagine Angeal coming up with that idea on his own. Maybe it was for real then, though he couldn’t help but wonder what Angeal would be doing running around with someone that he’d never heard of at this time of the night. And something that had ended up in the infirmary no less.

He hit the button to the infirmary door, bouncing on his toes as he waited for it to slide open. He sighed. Batteries were definitely half charged. There was no way he was going to get back to sleep after whatever this was and he was going to be dog tired by noon.

He stepped through the door and spied Angeal sitting off to one side, arms folded across his chest. “So, Angeal, I’m here. What’s-whoa.” His mind stuttered to a stop as he got a closer look at the figure stretched out on the exam table.

Zack was fairly sure he forgot to breathe for a minute. The guy was gorgeous. His face was nothing short of angelic. Zack felt his eyes begin to travel down to see the rest of the picture and jerked them back to the guy’s face again. No fair staring when someone was unconscious and couldn’t tell you to fuck off if they didn’t want the attention.

In spite of that sentiment, Zack found himself walking over to the table to get a closer look. The outfit looked almost like a first class Soldier uniform. Not that he’d been looking. Riiiight. The guy, Cloud Angeal had called him, sighed softly, a lock of fluffy blond hair falling across his face. Without thinking, Zack reached out and gently smoothed it back into place, letting his hand linger on the unfairly soft curve of the man’s cheek. Beautiful really didn’t begin to describe it.

Pale lashes fluttered and Zack found himself looking into the bluest eyes he’d ever seen. His breath caught at the depth of them. They were too sad by half for the innocent face. He knew he should pull his hand back but didn’t seem to be able to, especially not when he could have sworn the guy was leaning just slightly into his hand.

“I take it you two do know each other then, Puppy?” Angeal’s sardonic voice cut through the moment. He was standing now, though Zack couldn’t remember hearing him move.

“Uh. No. Actually.” Zack pulled his hand back, blushing. He wanted to kick himself as he felt the heat flare across his cheeks. Fierce, bad-ass Soldiers didn’t blush when their mentors caught them ogling a pretty face. Nu-uh. No way. And there it was… the classic Angeal single arched eyebrow thing. The look that said he deserved the stupid nickname and more. 

Zack decided then and there that it was really, really time to take a trip into town and see about finding a new love interest or fling or one night stand. Anything to keep him from landing himself in the awkward position of pawing semi-conscious men in the infirmary, no matter how lovely. Totally not his style. In fact, if he’d caught someone else doing it, he would probably have felt the need to teach them a lesson or three with the flat of his sword.

“No?” Angeal looked like he might well echo Zack’s thoughts about necessary lessons. Zack groaned. He was so in for it. Angeal’s honorable streak was several miles wider than his own. Not that he didn’t work hard to do the right thing, but his mentor took it to another level entirely. Chivalry wasn’t dead around here. No sir.

“No,” Zack repeated with a defeated sigh. This wasn’t going to be pretty.

“Then what was that about?” Angeal’s voice was harsher than Zack expected, “If you haven’t met him, I can’t imagine how he would have given you permission to touch him.”

“He didn’t. I’m sorry. I don’t know where that came from.” Zack hung his head. Angeal was right, as usual. He should have kept his mitts to himself.

“It’s fine.” A firm, quiet voice silenced them both. As one, they looked towards the exam table. Cloud was sitting up, swinging his legs over the side.

“Should you really be getting up yet?” Zack reached out a hand to help him up but dropped it with a guilty look in Angeal’s direction. No point in making it worse. Besides, he reassured himself, he was still close enough to catch Cloud if he fell.

“I’m all right.” Cloud smiled slightly and Zack decided that going into town to find someone else was a lost cause. It had been a long time since a crush had come on quite so suddenly, but he knew enough to know he was in trouble with this one. He wasn’t going to be able to let it go until he figured out if he had any chance at all.

A machine beeped in the background and the forgotten medic gave a surprised little gasp that drew three pairs of eyes to the screen. “That can’t be right,” the man muttered, scrolling through what looked to be an analysis of Cloud’s blood.

Cloud slid of the table, his face grim. He reached past the man, pushing him to one side and punching a series of keys. The analysis vanished. “That information is classified,” the blonde said coolly, “I suggest you forget whatever you saw.”

Zack’s eyebrows shot up and he glanced over in time to catch a similar expression on Angeal’s face. Something odd was going on here.

\--

Angeal snagged Zack’s arm and pulled him close enough to whisper. “Get info from the medic if you can then check Private Strife’s quarters. Something’s off here.” He gave Zack a gentle shove towards the office the doctor had retreated to. Zack sighed, figuring this was what he got for being the friendly one in this little group.

He glanced back over his shoulder in time to see Angeal looming over Cloud and gesturing towards another office. Zack shook his head in amazement. The blonde didn’t seem the least bit intimidated, though he walked docily in the direction Angeal indicated, giving his back to the taller man. 

Zack hoped Angeal didn’t find anything wrong with Cloud’s story. The blond intrigued him. He couldn’t shake the idea that there was a lot going on beneath the surface and he wanted to know what it was. That would be hard to do if Cloud was locked up somewhere.  
Shaking his head, he set his phone to message him in fifteen minutes and pushed the door to the medic’s office open. Time to earn his keep.

Zack leaned against the doorframe, tapping the now half open door with his knuckles. The medic looked up with an expression that bordered on hostile. Zack pretended not to notice, “Hey, man. Mind if I join you? They’re having a ‘classified’ meeting.” He drawled the word in an annoyed tone - which wasn’t hard to fake considering he would really rather be hearing what Angeal had to say to Cloud. 

“Fine. All right.” The man face relaxed fractionally.

“Thanks.” Zack plopped himself down in the extra chair, pushing it back so it wheeled against the wall as he shut the door behind himself. “I don’t honestly know what’s so important that it can’t wait ‘till morning but…” he shrugged and raised his eyes to the ceiling, “Not my place to ask questions. Zack Fair, Soldier Second Class.” He held out his hand and the man shook it with a tentative smile that made Zack feel a little bad about what he was trying to do. 

“Dr. Benjamin Cooper.”

“Nice to meet you, doc, even if it’s not under the greatest of circumstances. So how bad did Cloud hit his head?” Concern didn’t require faking it either. He still wasn’t convinced the blond should be out of bed.

“Well, it looked fairly serious at first. A blow to the temple and he was still unconscious when Commander Hewley brought him in. He seems to be healing quickly though, even for someone who is mako enhanced.” Zack could see the information he was after just waiting to burst forth. Too easy.

“Really? He still seemed kinda shaky when Angeal got him up. ”

“Yeah. It’s rather remarkable actually.” The medic ran his hand through his hair.

“Sorry about them, by the way. They were probably sparing or something and got carried away. First Class Soldiers are supposed to take it easy on those of us who aren’t in the same league but sometimes they forget if their opponent is good enough.” Zack wondered if Cloud was any good with a sword. The infantry mostly trained with rifles.

“He would be.” Ben muttered under his breath, looking annoyed again.

Zack raised a questioning eyebrow, “Something to do with this ‘classified’ nonsense? I didn’t see much, but it didn’t look too different from my last blood test.”

Ben shrugged, glancing towards the closed door and dropping his voice, “It’s almost the same as a regular Soldier’s but there are some small abnormalities. I’ve seen it before, but it was on another classified file that I just got a glance at.”

“Whose?” Zack leaned forward, to all appearances hanging on the medic’s every word. 

“General Sephiroth’s,” the name came out in an awed whisper. Zack didn’t blame him. Sephiroth was a hero - the kind of man all of Soldier aspired to be.

“Wow,” Zack breathed the word, sitting back in his chair as if thoroughly impressed. He didn’t even want to know how this guy had gotten a peak at the General’s records. Snooping into such things didn’t usually bode well for a career around here.

Figuring that was all he was likely to get without arousing suspicion, Zack let the conversation drift back to small talk until his phone beeped. He pulled it out and pretended to check it, “Whoops. Gotta go. Orders from on high,” Zack rolled his eyes in mock annoyance and got up, “See you around Ben.” With a wave and a smile, he made his escape out the door.


	3. Chapter 3

Cloud watched Angeal from across the table. The man had sent Zack off on some errand or other and escorted Cloud to one of the empty offices in the infirmary. Unless he missed his guess, Cloud figured he was one tiny step away from ending up a prisoner.

“Classified?” Angeal’s voice was edging towards accusatory and the man was looking at him with wary eyes. Cloud resisted the urge to sigh. If it had been Zack, he might have been tempted to blurt out the truth, but he only really knew Angeal through Zack’s memories. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough for him to trust the other man.

“Yes,” Cloud answered the Commander shortly. Modeoheim kept coming to mind and it was hard to remember that it hadn’t happened yet. Wouldn’t happen if Cloud could help it. The monster that Angeal had become had nearly killed him and Tseng there. Zack had been forced to take it – Angeal – down. Zack hadn’t smiled for a long time after that.

“On whose authorization? You’re not Soldier. Your records said infantry and nothing was noted about classified information.”

“I never told you I was Soldier,” Cloud was stalling for time. Technically, his records had been classified, just not yet. He had to be careful. He didn’t want to lie. It would be a lot easier to help them if they trusted him. This was going to get complicated enough when they ran across Cloud the sixteen year old infantryman as they no doubt would eventually, “And it was Hojo who authorized it.” It was hard to keep his voice neutral. He hated the man more than he’d ever hated anyone, including Sephiroth. 

“Hojo? But that would mean…” Angeal trailed off. Cloud could only imagine what he was thinking. Everyone knew that Hojo liked to experiment and that the President gave him privileges that allowed him a remarkably free rein. Very few knew exactly how far that extended. Cloud doubted Angeal had any clue. 

“I was a test subject, yes, and I’d prefer it if you didn’t ask him about me. I’d really rather not end up the focus of his attention again.” And that was the absolute truth. Bringing up Hojo at all was risky, but considering the scientist generally managed to weird out almost everyone he came into contact with in a matter of minutes, Cloud was hoping Angeal had enough compassion to not turn him over to the madman. Though if it came down to that, Cloud had no intention of going quietly. He refused to be that man’s guinea pig again.

Angeal was silent for a long time. “You volunteered?” he asked finally.

Cloud couldn’t help the derisive snort that came out, “Don’t be naïve.” 

Angeal’s face hardened and Cloud realized that flippant, even accidentally, had been a bad choice. Even so, he was having trouble keeping a hold on his anger. If anyone in this damned company had bothered to ask just a few simple questions about what went actually went on, so much tragedy could have been averted.

The blond’s eyes narrowed and he met Angeal’s look squarely. “I was injured on a mission. I probably should have died, but I woke up in the lab instead. Leaving wasn’t an option.” Sephiroth had stuck that damned sword through his stomach after nearly killing Zack and Tifa and burning Cloud’s hometown to the ground. He could practically still smell the charring flesh of the people he had grown up with. His mother.

Cloud closed his eyes at the force of the recollection. All of the sudden, it was too much. Waking up here. Seeing Zack again. His memories and those of Zack’s he still carried blended together in his mind to form a picture that was more complete than Cloud would have wanted. He saw himself through Zack’s eyes, using the last of his strength to toss the General into the reactor pit. He saw Sephiroth’s lovely, insane face inches from his own as it twisted in surprise when Cloud impaled himself further on the sword to gain the leverage he needed. Cloud shuddered, unable to shake the images in his head. He could almost feel the burning agony sparking in his gut and Zack’s horror and outrage that he couldn’t save him. 

A hand clamped down on his shoulder and he jumped in surprise.

“It’s all right, kid. I believe you.” Angeal’s voice was gentle again.

\--

Angeal knew the start of a flashback when he saw one. He had been with Soldier for years. Combat left its mark more deeply on some. He hadn’t been sure he believed the boy. The story was a little too convenient and far-fetched. Classified records couldn’t be easily checked, after all.

Standing across the table and watching the young man’s blue eyes flare with anger then go blank as Cloud’s body went rigid, it was hard not to believe at least some of the story. “Strife!” he called sharply, not terribly surprised when he didn’t get a response. Knowing it wasn’t the best of ideas, but trusting his mako-enhanced reflexes, he grabbed the young man’s shoulder and shook him gently.

Cloud jumped but, much to Angeal’s relief, didn’t react violently. “It’s all right, kid. I believe you.” Angeal tried to keep his voice as quiet and soothing as possible. Cloud looked up at him and Angeal was shocked at the raw anguish written all over the pretty face. Two tears cut paths down pale cheeks and Angeal felt the last of his doubt fading. The boy was telling the truth. There wasn’t any malice or deceit that he could see… just an injured, tired, young soldier. He was willing to trust his instincts with this one. It didn’t feel too different from when he had decided to take Zack under his wing. Some things just felt right.

“You need rest,” Angeal turned away on the pretext of looking for his phone to give Cloud time to regain his composure. “Why don’t you stay at my place for what’s left of tonight and you can tell me the rest of the story tomorrow?” He half expected a protest and was a little surprised at the subdued nod. The blond was proving to be something of a walking contradiction.

He sent Zack a brief message, telling him to check in once his investigation was complete, and started towards his quarters with Cloud following quietly behind him. Angeal was relieved. Though he believed Cloud about his injury and classified records, Angeal didn’t want him too far away until he got a chance to get the whole story.

\--

“They’re Zack’s. He won’t mind.” Cloud took the clothing Angeal was holding out to him with a mumbled thank you. He felt young and stupid in a way he hadn’t since he had last been in the presence of an older member of Soldier more than a decade previously. He hadn’t had a breakdown like that in years. It was almost worse that Angeal was being so nice about it. It made him want to crawl into a hole and hide. He had thought he’d gotten over feeling that kind of embarrassment.

Shutting the bathroom door behind himself, Cloud unclipped his armor and pulled off the harness that usually held his sword to his back. The sword itself was no doubt still sitting in its compartment on his bike twelve or so years in the future. Some lot of good it did him there. He untied his boots and set them aside, wondering how he was going to find a replacement for the weapon. It was one of a kind. Socks, pants and sweater made a neat pile on top of the boots.

Cloud ducked quickly into the shower, needing to wash the smell of the infirmary off. Ten minutes later, he was toweling off his hair and pulling on the clothes Angeal had given him. He breathed deeply. It smelled wonderfully like Zack. The knot of anxious worry that had been building in the pit of his stomach loosened a little. He needed to remember that he was here for a reason - to keep Zack alive and well.

When he opened the bathroom door, the couch was made up with blankets and a few pillows. The door to Angeal’s room was shut and he could hear the Commander moving around behind it. Suddenly exhausted, Cloud crawled onto the couch and pulled the blankets up around his chin. He’d had all the excitement he could handle for one day. Fortunately and rarely, sleep came quickly.

\--

Zack jogged down the hall towards the section where the infantry was quartered. He’d had to use Angeal’s access code to pull up Cloud’s personnel file and room number. Not a good night in the rule breaking department. Maybe he should see about signing on with the Turks. Nah. Tseng would probably kill him for asking…and smile while he did it. The man had a strange sense of humor. It was one of the things Zack liked about him. That and his ability to stay absolutely cool regardless of the situation. Pretty badass.

The infantry shared rooms so Zack knocked firmly on the door. Wouldn’t do to break in and startle Cloud’s bunkmate. Sure enough, the door slid open to reveal a young and groggy looking infantryman. The young man’s eyes widened comically as he took in Zack’s uniform. He rather clumsily snapped to attention.

“Sir!”

“At ease, Private Moran,” Zack was glad he had thought to look up the bunkmate’s name and rank. It was never a bad thing to perpetuate the myth that Soldier knew everything, “Is Private Strife in?” Zack knew he wasn’t, but he was curious what the excuse for his absence would be.  
Max Moran looked surprised and a little relieved, “No sir. He’s on guard duty until 0600.”

Zack raised an eyebrow. Bunkmates where usually assigned together. “How’d you manage to get out of it?” Zack hadn’t really planned on asking that bluntly, but something about Cloud was triggering his protective streak. The blond shouldn’t have been left alone to deal with whatever had landed him in the infirmary with a lump on his head. Angeal’s reactions had made it clear enough that his mentor hadn’t been involved in that part of it.

The young infantryman blushed and dropped his eyes to the floor, “Well, sir, um, Cloud was late again. The Sergeant put him on for extra duty.”

“That happen often?” Zack had a hard time reconciling the man he’d met in the infirmary with someone who would be late often enough to have his bunkmate say ‘again’ in that tone. 

“Yes sir. Cloud’s really not a morning person. Even when he does wake up on time he usually forgets something.”

“But you don’t seem to mind rooming with him?” Zack made it a question.

“No sir, of course not. He’s kinda clumsy and really shy. And he can be a bit of an airhead – it’s kind of hard to stay away from the blond jokes, honestly. But he’s really serious about wanting to make Soldier. He trains really hard for it. Dunno,” Moran blushed a bit and Zack couldn’t help but wonder if the guy was a little more interested in his bunkmate than was purely friendly. Not that he didn’t understand that inclination where Cloud was concerned, “In spite of it all, he’s the kind of person you can rely on. He never forgets the important stuff.”

“Thanks. I’ll let you go back to sleep. I’ll catch up with Private Strife another time,” As the door slid shut again, Zack headed back in the direction of Angeal’s quarters. He was thinking hard about what he had been told. The person Moran had described didn’t seem to match with what he had seen. Cloud hadn’t been shy or airheaded at all when he’d told off Dr. Cooper. Quite the contrary. He had been graceful and self-contained even with a concussion. He moved like a well-trained fighter and there had been nothing air-headed about the way those blue eyes had taken in everything around them. Zack shook his head. He hoped Angeal had had more luck figuring out what was going on.


	4. Chapter 4

Zack keyed the code into Angeal’s door and stepped through quietly when it slid open. The lights were off in the living room. Zack wondered if he should come back in the morning. Nope. He spotted the thin line of light shining out from under the bedroom door. Zack frowned, wondering why Angeal was shut up in there. He had to have known that Zack would report in when he was done poking around.

Zack ghosted through the darkened room. Angeal would know he was there. His mentor always did, no matter how hard Zack worked to sneak up on him. Zack grinned. It was still a good game.  
Halfway across the living room, a soft rustle from the direction of the couch stopped him. He scanned the room, identifying the source of the sound quickly. Mako-bright eyes met his, glowing in the dark as Cloud sat up slowly. 

“H-hey there.” Zack stuttered under the weight of Cloud’s quiet regard. He mentally kicked himself. He was usually better with people than this. Even especially lovely people who happened to be wearing little more than one of his old, threadbare t-shirts. Gaia, it would really have been better for all involved if he hadn’t noticed that. Or if his night vision hadn’t been good enough to make out details. Yep. He would have happily gone for either of those options.

“Commander Hewley is still awake.” Cloud flipped on the lamp beside the couch, his lips quirked in an expression that looked halfway between derision and amusement. “I’m fairly certain he’s waiting for your report. Talk to anyone interesting?”

“Nah. Not really.” Zack answered, flopping down in an armchair and schooling his face into his favorite ‘good-ol-boy’ expression. He felt a little like he’d been caught doing something naughty. He wasn’t sure he was crazy about the way Cloud seemed to know what was going on better than he himself did. Angeal wouldn’t have told him what he had sent Zack out to do even if his mentor had decided the young man’s story checked out alright. Zack couldn’t wait to hear what the older man had to say about all of this. “You and Ange gettin’ along okay?” 

“Well enough.” 

Though his voice was calm, Zack noticed that Cloud was focused on him completely. His eyes were locked on Zack’s face and he leaned forward slightly, his hands clenched so tightly in the blanket that his knuckles were white. Zack studied him surreptitiously as he removed his sword and settled more comfortably into the chair. It was an odd reaction. It didn’t seem like attraction exactly, more like Cloud was looking for something. “How’s the head?” 

Their eyes met and the intensity in Cloud’s gaze faded into something softer. He smiled and Zack’s heart skipped a beat. It was a sad little expression, world-weary and far-away. For all he was bruised and dressed in clothing that was too big for him, Cloud looked tragic and beautiful and entirely untouchable. Zack half-rose from the chair, wanting to comfort him and not sure why. The look on the other man’s face made Zack want to protect him from whatever it was that was hurting him. He wanted to make Cloud smile for real.

Cloud broke eye contact abruptly, turning away to fuss with his pillow. “I’m fine, Zack.” He smoothed the rumpled blanket next with strong, delicate fingers. “Really. Go talk to Commander Hewley. I’m fine.” 

He wasn’t. Zack was sure of that much. But they didn’t know each other well enough for him to insist Cloud tell him what was wrong. “Okay.” He answered finally, getting to his feet. There was a mystery or seven here that he was going to get to the bottom of. “Sleep well, buddy.”

\--

In spite of the very short night, Cloud was up before the sun. Though he had fallen asleep quickly after Zack had left, his dreams had been tumultuous. Not a surprise, given the evening he’d had, he supposed. His eyes were still gritty with exhaustion, but years of discipline let him shake it off relatively easily. 

With a little sleep, Cloud felt like his brain was finally working again. He rubbed his temple. It was still a little sore, but the pounding ache that had been threatening to split his head open last night was gone. He sat up slowly and looked around. The room was dim but visible in the pre-dawn light. It was the same room he had gone to sleep in. Cloud shook his head in wonder. Aerith really had sent him back in time.

Angeal’s bedroom door was still shut. Cloud let out a relieved sigh when he heard no movement from the far side. He needed some distance between himself and the all-too-perceptive Commander while he figured out what to do. He dressed quickly in his old clothes. There were a few spots of blood on them, but he’d worn far worse over the years.

First thing first, he needed a weapon. He felt vulnerable without his sword. Maybe he could talk Zack into lending him one. The standard issue weapons were scarcely worth it, but one of them would be better than nothing. Slightly. Cloud smiled ruefully to himself. Beggars couldn’t be choosers, but he had definitely become a sword-snob somewhere along the way. Funny that he hadn’t noticed until his own weapon was gone.

He wondered whether or not he should find his younger self. If anyone was going to believe him, it would be himself. Possibly. Or he would just think he’d gone totally nuts. If younger Cloud could be reasoned with, they might be able to hide that there were two of them for a bit while he assessed the situation. He didn’t know exactly when he was or what he should be trying to prevent beyond the obvious. He had to keep Sephiroth sane and Zack alive. The question now was how to do it.

Cloud wasn’t sure if hiding was the wisest course of action. He could tell Zack and Angeal the whole truth and hope they believed him. Or he could tell younger him. If Angeal decided he couldn’t be trusted, Cloud had no doubt there would be serious trouble. He would be reported to Lazard and Sephiroth. Maybe Hojo and the President. Then the fireworks would start and any credibility his story had would be lost.

Worse, if Cloud was honest about it, he knew Zack would follow his mentor’s lead. There had been a time when that wouldn’t have been true, when Zack trusted Cloud more than anyone except maybe Aerith, but that hadn’t happened yet. It might not ever happen now that he was who he was. Cloud knew the years had changed him. A lot of what Zack had said he liked about him was gone. Cloud wasn’t the innocent, trusting person he had been.

That thought decided him. He could tell Zack later, once they were friends again. Cloud tried to shut out his doubts. Zack gave everyone a chance. He needed to believe in Zack, even if he wasn’t sure of himself. As long as Cloud didn’t let him down, they would have a shot at trusting one another again.

On the other hand, younger Cloud _would_ trust him if he could get him to listen. He had wanted to believe in people back then. He had been desperate to be someone special or at least be noticed by someone special. Cloud snorted softly, familiar bitterness rising up from that old, old wound. _You finally get your wish, kiddo. We’re special. For all the good it’s done us_.

With one more quick glance at the still-silent bedroom, Cloud slipped out the door.

\--

There had been no time at all for a nap once Cloud had finished guard duty. He wondered if he might be able to snatch some sleep during lunch break, but he didn’t hold out much hope for that. It was going to be a long forty-eight hours. Just thinking about it made him even more tired. Cloud tried his best to hide a yawn and fumbled his rifle instead. He grabbed for it frantically, snapping it back up into place.

“Strife!” The Sergeant barked, suddenly inches away and furious. Cloud flinched and the rifle slipped from his hands. It clattered to the floor in the abruptly silent room. Cloud felt his face heat up. He knew, he just knew his cheeks were bright red. He started to bend down to retrieve the gun then froze, uncertain. Wouldn’t he just land in more trouble for moving out of formation?

“Pick it up.” The Sergeant’s voice was dangerously soft.

Cloud crouched and snatched up the rifle. The other cadets were so studiously not looking at him that he knew they were paying attention to every moment of his latest screw up.

“You think this is a game, Strife?” The man loomed over him.

“No, Sir!” Cloud stood at attention and stared straight ahead. It would have been easier to stay calm if he hadn’t been eye level with the Sergeant’s rank insignia. As it was, he felt more than a little claustrophobic.

“You do remember we’re at war, right?”

“Yes, Sir!” Of course he knew. The whole world knew. That was why he was here: to be like General Sephiroth and the other members of Soldier. He wanted to make a difference.

The Sergeant just shook his head, looking like he’d smelled something filthy. “Get back in formation. Since it seems like you need the practice handling them, you can clean the all of the unit’s rifles. I’ll inspect them this evening and they’d better be perfect.” He turned away.

“Yes, Sir.” Cloud answered, giving up any idea of catching up on his sleep. He’d be lucky to come anywhere near getting them done by evening.

After the drill, he watched the rest of the unit file out. Even his bunkmate wouldn’t meet his eyes. Their rifles were stacked neatly in front of him. He sighed and went to get his cleaning kit. It was going to be a long, long afternoon.


	5. Chapter 5

Cloud watched from the doorway. Inside the room, the boy he had been was working frantically to clean a stack of rifles that was nearly taller than he was. He dropped pieces and struggled to fit the guns back together, cursing softly under his breath every now and again. Cloud studied him, trying to remember what it had been like. Training had been so desperately lonely before he had met Zack. He shook his head. It had been so long ago. Another lifetime.

He stepped into the room, moving as quietly as he knew how. The door slid shut silently behind him. His chest felt tight. Talking to his younger self would make this real. It would be the first step towards saving Zack and Sephiroth and he had no way of knowing if it was the right one to take. He wasn’t ready for this confrontation, but it still beat the alternatives.

The boy didn’t turn around, focused single-mindedly on his task. A rueful smile tugged at the corner of Cloud’s mouth. No wonder his teachers hadn’t thought he had the makings of a warrior. No instincts at all.

“Cloud.” He spoke quietly, knowing it was going to startle the boy one way or another. Sure enough, the younger man jumped, tripped over his own feet, and thumped down hard on his backside. He glanced up just long enough to see the uniform and then fixed his gaze on the floor.   
Cloud offered his hand, trying to squash the smile that was threatening at the angry, embarrassed flush that bloomed on his younger self’s cheeks. He reminded Cloud just a little of Denzel. He’d never noticed the similarity before. That thought hurt too much to explore right now. The urge to smile vanished. He’d abandoned them without a second thought.

The boy’s eyes darted up, one hand reaching tentatively for Cloud’s outstretched one. His eyes landed on Cloud’s face and he froze. He opened his mouth then shut it again. He shook his head and stared.

“No way.” The boy shook his head and blinked, looked at him again.

“We need to talk.” Cloud answered.

“This has got to be some kind of prank.” The boy pulled his hand back, clenching it hard enough to whiten his knuckles. He struggled to his feet unaided, circling Cloud slowly. 

“Oh? How do you think that would have been managed?” Cloud deliberately loosened his shoulders and squashed the urge to turn around as the kid walked behind him. He could almost hear the boy shrug.

“I don’t know, but this isn’t possible. You look like me. Sort of, anyway.”

Cloud gave up and turned to face him. Blue-grey eyes – eyes free of any hint of mako – stared up at him. He breathed slowly to control the rising panic. This was real. Too real. This awkward teenager was really him. The young man was absolutely right. This wasn’t possible. Cloud sucked in a breath and held it, counting to ten before letting it out again. “I am you.” He said finally.

\--

The man was several inches taller than he was. There wasn’t an ounce of soft flesh on him and his bare arms were corded with hard muscle. Cloud might not have been a great fighter himself, but he knew what they looked like when he saw them. The smooth, balanced way the man moved, the way he stood, as if he were at the center of the universe and everything revolved around him, the calm focus in his mako-bright eyes… it all said this man was a Soldier of the highest caliber.

“I am you.” 

“You can’t be.” The older man’s words spurred an instant denial. Even if there could be two of him, and Cloud wasn’t buying that for a moment, there was no way he could look like that. The blond looked like he belonged with General Sephiroth and the rest, not polishing rifles and staying up half the night on extra guard duty. This guy would never be late to drills, never drop his gun or cut himself on his own sword.

“But I am.”

Cloud wanted to ask him to prove it.

As though reading his mind, the other man smiled again. It made him look sad and tired and patient. Cloud wondered if his own expressions were half that complicated and decided that it was yet another difference between them.

“Let me help you with these. I’ll explain as best I can.” The older man gestured to the rifles.

Still wary, Cloud nodded. He watched in awe as the blond began stripping down and cleaning the weapons as easy as breathing. He sat down as well and got back to work. His own clumsiness hadn’t miraculously vanished.

“Slow down.” The other man corrected gently. “Learn the feeling of doing it right, then learn to do it right and quick.”

Cloud felt his face flush, but he slowed down. With help, he might actually get the work done. “You were going to tell me about yourself?” He prompted after too much silence.

“I was.” The man didn’t look at him. “It’s easier said than done, though. You won’t have met Aerith yet. She’s at the heart of this. Aerith and Zack and Sephiroth. Why don’t I start by telling you a few things about us?” The smile looked a little more real this time. “For example, I remember where we used to hide candy from Mom.”

\--

Cloud had left out most of the nastier details. He told his younger self about Sephiroth going crazy and trying to destroy the world, but he couldn’t bring himself to mention what his hero had done Nibleheim and the people there that he loved, how close Sephiroth had really come to succeeding. He warned him about Hojo and President Shinra, but left out being experimented on and watching Zack die for him while he was too weak to even lift his arms to help. By the time he was done with the bare bones of the story, the boy had stopped any pretense of working on the rifles and was staring at him. He looked a little like a landed fish.

“Do you believe me?” Cloud asked. He wasn’t sure he believed himself. Saying it out loud made it sound even more bizarre than living through it had been. 

“I… I don’t know.” The young man answered. “I guess… I suppose I do.” He smiled ruefully, a sweet expression Cloud was sure he’d never been able to manage.

“I need your help. Aerith sent me back to save Sephiroth.” _And Zack_. He added to himself. The boy didn’t know Zack. The opportunity to help the man he idolized would be a far greater motivator.

“What help could I possibly be?” The young man blushed. “I mean, wouldn’t you be better off asking one of the other Soldiers?”

“They have no reason to believe me. Sephiroth was – is – perfectly sane until Jenovah. He’s their leader and he’s damn good at his job. They would just lock me up for being a lunatic. I figured that if you didn’t believe me, I could just remind you about that candy stash.” _And there’s no way you could have overpowered me in a fight if you did decide to report me._

“Fair enough.” His younger self grinned at him. “So what’s the plan?”

“Still a work in progress.” Cloud grimaced. “Mostly I figured I needed to explain things to you so we could keep a low profile until I decide how to approach the Firsts. I ran into Commander Hewley yesterday, so he and Zack Fair are already checking into us. For the moment, avoid them if you can. I could use a copy of your schedule and a spare sword if you can find one.”

“Sure. I can get one from the armory. I’m always nicking mine, so they won’t even ask why I need another.” The boy was nodding.

“Go get it now. I’ll finish up with these.”

The other blond got up and headed for the door. He paused at the threshold and looked back. “Do you really think we can save him?” He asked hesitantly.

“Yes.” Cloud answered simply. _We have to. I can’t fail them again._ With the aid of years of practice, he kept his own uncertainty off of his face. 

The boy watched him for a long moment, then his face lit with enthusiasm. “Count me in.” He grinned and was out the door.

Cloud sighed. He had been so naïve at that age, so certain that deciding to do something was the same as doing it. Cloud dearly hoped it worked out better for them this time around.


	6. Chapter 6

Zack was not happy. Angeal had left him a terse message that their mystery blond had disappeared without explanation and Zack was to find him ASAP. Zack had figured Cloud had just gone to drills and then to lunch with the other cadets.

That theory had been blown when blond wasn’t in the cafeteria. His dorm room was empty and nobody Zack had asked had seen him. When he finally caught up with Cloud’s drill sergeant, the man had growled something about leaving the useless lump to clean rifles, but had stalked off before Zack could get a room number out of him.

When his phone beeped, he picked it up without looking at the caller. “Fair.”

“Any luck?” Angeal sounded pissed.

“Looking for the room his sergeant left him in.”

“So he went to drill.” His mentor’s voice sounded relieved.

“Looks like it.” Zack paused. “What’s bugging you, man? I thought you believed him.”

“I want to. I should have asked more questions last night, but…” Angeal sighed. Zack frowned. His mentor had seemed tired lately. Tired and worried. The war was going well enough, so Zack could only assume it had something to do with Genesis or Sephiroth. If not both. 

“Tell me, Zack,” Angeal continued, “does he look sixteen to you? Moreover, does he act it? I told him to stay and tell me the whole story in the morning. He must have left very quietly to get out the door without me hearing him. I took a closer look at his records this morning. He hasn’t been here all that long. It certainly doesn’t seem like long enough to have been through everything he claims to have. I believe something has happened to him, but the timeline doesn’t work. I need you to bring him back to me. If this is something to do with Wutai, we can’t afford to have him running loose.”

“I’ll get him.” Zack hung up and chewed his lower lip, picking up the pace as he headed towards the usual drill rooms. Angeal was right. Cloud brought out his protective instincts and obviously Angeal’s as well. That didn’t mean they could afford to ignore the inconsistencies in his story. Zack growled under his breath. Why did Cloud have to skip out this morning?

“Problems, Lieutenant?” 

Zack snapped to attention at the sound of the familiar voice. He didn’t spend much time with Sephiroth as a rule. The General kept to himself mostly, but Zack was with Angeal often enough that occasionally meeting the silver-haired swordsman was inevitable. It just hadn’t been often enough for him to shake the sense of awe he felt around the man.

“No, sir.” He answered, then corrected himself. “Well, yes, sir, but it’s under control. Or will be.”

“This wouldn’t have anything to do with the unconscious cadet Angeal was dealing with last night, would it?” Sephiroth sounded bored.

“Yes, sir.” How in Gaea’s name had the General known about that? The man was scary.

Sephiroth waited, silver eyebrows arched expectantly. Zack ran through his options. He wasn’t going to lie to the General, but he didn’t want to land Cloud in trouble with the man. If he babbled about all of the odd irregularities surrounding Cloud, then there would be no stopping Sephiroth from getting involved. Zack was pretty certain that would be a bad idea at this stage.

He knew Angeal would deal fairly with the blond. He wasn’t so sure about Sephiroth. The man had a reputation for dealing with any nonsense that arose in the ranks with direct, ruthless efficiency. The idea of Cloud facing the brunt of the General’s wrath was a little chilling. The blond wouldn’t stand a chance. 

“He bailed before Angeal got up this morning.” Zack answered. “He just went to drill, but Angeal wanted the full story out of him before he let him off. No big deal.”

“I see.” Sephiroth’s eyes narrowed. He sounded unconvinced. Their eyes locked and Zack had the uncomfortable feeling that the man could see straight into his head. He squashed the urge to squirm under Sephiroth’s chilly stare. Why was the General even interested in one lowly cadet?

A door opened behind Zack and Sephiroth’s gaze flicked up and away. It was all Zack could do not to breathe an audible sigh of relief. He’d seen plenty of mako-enhanced eyes in his time with Soldier, but the General’s were still unsettling.

“And here’s the source of the problem.” Icy amusement laced Sephiroth’s voice. Zack turned. Cloud was locking the door, his back to them both. 

If Zack hadn’t been watching so closely, he would have missed the way Cloud’s shoulders tightened. The blond stood still for a long moment, though he should have faced them and saluted the instant he knew they were there. It was an odd breach of protocol for a cadet. Very odd. Constant drilling beat that one into them early and hard. It was almost instinctive for most at this stage in training.

Then Cloud turned and Zack forgot about mandatory salutes entirely. The blond’s face was as calm as ever, but his blue eyes burned. Whatever emotion lit them, it was intense and it was aimed entirely at the silver-haired man who stood behind Zack.

\--

“How did you and Tifa get to be friends? I sort of figured she’d forget I existed the moment I was out of sight. Unless I came back famous, that is.”

Something outside caught Cloud’s attention. He held up a hand for silence, almost glad he didn’t have to answer his younger self’s question. He didn’t have a simple explanation ready for that one. Thankfully, the boy went quiet without a fuss, though he looked quizzically at Cloud.

Cloud shook his head and got to his feet silently, laying down the rifle he’d been cleaning. He crept to the door and pressed his ear against it. He cursed under his breath. The door was too well sound-proofed to hear much, but he caught the faint, familiar sound of Zack’s voice. He couldn’t hear what the man was saying or to whom he was speaking, but it was a fair bet that he was looking for Cloud. Damn.

He crossed the room again, crouching down beside the younger man. “Zack’s outside,” he whispered, “Stay here. I’ll lock the door.” A faint smile tugged at his lips. “Finish up with these before you head out. We’ll be gone by then. Stay quiet and act normal. I’ll catch up with you later.”

He waited until the other blond nodded before sheathing the practice sword the boy had gotten for him. He grimaced. It fit poorly. The sheath had been customized for a much larger weapon. Still, he couldn’t exactly carry a naked blade around in his hand. Somebody would think he was up to something.

The door shut behind him and Cloud keyed the lock. If Zack asked, he’d tell him he was locking the weapons in. It was believable enough.

“And here’s the source of the problem.”

The soft, commanding voice sent every instinct he had screaming for him to pull his sword and defend himself. He never would have come out if he’d known who Zack was talking to. Never. His heart slammed frantically against his ribs. _It’s not him._ He told himself, pulling in a slow breath and letting it out again. He forced his muscles to unclench. _It’s not really him. The madman is dead._

Sephiroth would know something was off when he saw Cloud’s face. Even crazy, he had been beyond excellent at reading his opponents. If half of what Cloud was feeling leaked out, the silver-haired general wouldn’t let him go until he knew what was going on. They hadn’t met. There would be no reasonable explanation for Cloud’s reaction to him.

Cloud wished he were better at hiding what he felt. Nobody ever knew what Vincent was thinking when he didn’t want to share. Hell, even when the gunman did want to talk, his feelings didn’t show on his face. Of course, Vincent Valentine wouldn’t be constantly tripping over the very people he was trying to avoid either. Why hadn’t Aerith sent the ex-Turk back instead? He knew Shinra better than Cloud ever had.

Cloud took another breath. He’d been standing with his back to them for too long. He knew it. He hoped he looked calm enough to pass off any lingering emotion as nervousness or awe at meeting the hero. It didn’t matter. Time was up.

Cloud turned to face his enemy.

Sephiroth was nothing like Cloud remembered and it threw him completely. He stared, rage and dread fading into blank shock. The silver hair was the almost same, sweeping in a bright sheet to the man’s knees. Almost. Instead of being tangled and bloody, it was clean and smooth. His face was fuller, his skin softer looking. His mouth was firm and unsmiling, but the cruel, wild sneer was gone. 

And his eyes. 

His eyes were calm.

Sephiroth walked forward until he was standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Zack. He folded his arms, frowning down at Cloud. Cloud couldn’t look away from the man who had – who would – destroy his life. _I killed you._ He thought wildly. _Twice._

But this wasn’t the monster he had killed. Zack was the same as Cloud remembered him. Angeal was very much like Zack had described him. Cloud’s own double fit his memories. Sephiroth was… someone else. Someone who was looking at him like he expected some kind of specific reaction. Right.

“General.” Cloud saluted clumsily, swallowing as his voice stuck in his throat. He needed to get away from them. Now. “Lieutenant Fair. Excuse me. Sorry to interrupt. I’m late for lunch.” Cloud turned, almost tripping over his own feet as he started down the hallway. 

“Woah, now, Sunshine.” Zack gripped Cloud’s arm and, already on edge, the blond reacted without thinking. He grabbed Zack’s hand, dropped, and spun, sending the bigger man flying over his head.

Soldier that he was, Zack rolled with the fall, coming back up on his feet with his sword out and ready. Cloud gaped at him, eyes wide. He really, really hadn’t meant to do that, wouldn’t have thought he would have been able to if anyone had asked. “S-sorry,” he stammered, cheeks on fire. Zack stared back, expression wary and surprised at once.

Sephiroth laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the record, I do plan on continuing with this. The working multiple jobs thing is just slowing me down some (okay, a lot). :P 
> 
> Thanks for all of the comments and kudos!


	7. Chapter 7

Zack studied Cloud carefully, not ready to look at Sephiroth quite yet. _Tossed like a sack of chocobo feed by a sixteen year old infantryman. In front of the General. Perfect._ The blond was staring at the floor, his face the shade of a particularly healthy tomato. It was kind of cute, if Zack ignored his aching shoulder and everything it implied. He hadn’t been thrown like that in years.

Zack rolled his shoulders to loosen the adrenaline-spiked tension. For the moment at least, Cloud wasn’t going to attack him again. He sheathed his sword.

Cloud glanced up at the sound, then dropped his eyes back to his shoes. “Sorry,” he muttered again.

“No problem, Sunshine. My fault.” Zack smiled in what he hoped was an encouraging manner. He didn’t mean a word of it. After that little demonstration, it was clear Angeal was right. The blond was way too skilled to for his age and rank. There was no way Zack was letting him out of his sight until he had an answer that made sense. Cloud’s behavior didn’t fit what Zack would expect of a Wutan spy or assassin, but he couldn’t think of what else it might be. Maybe one of the local anti-ShiRa groups?

“True enough.”

Sephiroth’s cool voice startled him out of his thoughts. Zack bit back a sigh and turned towards the General. The man was watching them both, traces of his amusement still present on his face even though he’d quit laughing. Zack was grateful for that much anyway. “Sir?” he asked. He was ready for Sephiroth to leave. He wanted to get Cloud to Angeal and sort everything out without an audience. Especially one that had any say about Zack’s future with Soldier. 

“He’s two-thirds your size and not Soldier.” A hard, razor-sharp note colored Sephiroth’s amusement. “And yet he caught you completely flat-footed, Lieutenant.”

Zack straightened up, snapping to attention. _It’s going to be like that, is it?_ “Yes, sir,” he answered formally.

“He’s a cadet, yes?”

“Yes, sir.” Zack nearly ground his teeth in frustration. He didn’t have time for this. Worse, he could see Cloud’s silent silhouette off to one side. Bad enough to be dressed down in front of anyone, but somehow the fact that Cloud was watching, potential enemy or not, made it worse.

“A cadet who _failed_ to be admitted to Soldier.”

Zack hadn’t known that. He really should have read that personnel file more carefully. And why had the General been looking Cloud’s records up anyway?

“Perhaps a temporary return to cadet training is in order, Lieutenant. At least until you figure out how to avoid their _accidental_ attacks.”

“Yes, sir.” Zack bit out, fighting back his temper. It was one thing when Angeal assigned him extra shit to do. Angeal worked with him, knew his strengths and weaknesses. Sephiroth had never bothered with training lower-ranked Soldiers. The General’s time was too _precious_ for that. Zack had more important things to deal with than Sephiroth’s foray into teaching.

Which reminded him of the reason they were having this discussion in the first place… 

For a few long breaths, he debated telling Sephiroth all about Angeal’s suspicions regarding the blond. It wouldn’t save Zack from a truly humiliating return to cadet training, but it would probably be the fastest way to get to the bottom of the most pressing problem at hand. He opened his mouth, bracing to grab Cloud if the blond ran when Zack talked.

“Leave him alone.” Gone was the blushing, stammering embarrassment. Cloud’s voice was clear and no-nonsense again. Zack glanced over in surprise. The blond stepped forward, glaring at the General.

Sephiroth looked momentarily taken-aback as well. Zack nearly shook his head in disbelief, another first. He wasn’t sure if he was impressed or appalled. Sephiroth was going to hand Cloud his head for interrupting.

“Silence, cadet.” The General’s voice had gone arctic. “This is none of your concern.”

Cloud snorted. “Bullshit.”

Zack knew his mouth was hanging open. It was like watching a slow motion train wreck.

“What did you say?” Sephiroth’s voice was nearly sweet as he studied Cloud as though the blond were a cockroach in the mess hall.

_Just apologize. Beg forgiveness. Something._ Some days Zack really wished that mind reading was a thing. He wanted answers, not to have to find a matchbox to bury Cloud in. He certainly didn’t want Cloud hurt for defending him. But those pretty blue eyes were flashing and Cloud’s eyebrows were drawn together. He didn’t look scared. At all. He should have. _Please._ Zack thought. _Let it go._

“Bullshit, _sir._ ”

_Oh good Gaia._ The kid was dead.

“Why is that?” Sephiroth moved like a snake, sliding forward into Cloud’s space. He towered over the blond. 

“Honestly?” Cloud didn’t give an inch. His voice was level as he glared up at the silver-haired man. “You have no idea how well I fight. You’re punishing him for an unknown quantity. It’s stupid.”

Well then. The last thing Zack had been expecting was a rational, well-reasoned answer. The young man had some serious balls. And ice water in his veins. Or a steel spine.

Sephiroth smiled at the blond, his green eyes glowing bright and cold. It should have been a pretty sight, but something about it sparked Zack’s fight-or-flight instincts. He wanted to reach for his sword. “Then show me, cadet.” The General’s voice was soft, almost gentle as he gazed down at Cloud. Sephiroth’s voice dropped a little lower. “Show me how well you fight.”

Cloud appeared to consider it, studying Sephiroth’s face intently. “Fine,” he nodded at last, not breaking eye contact, “but if I win, you let this go.”

Zack shifted, wondering if he should interrupt the strangely intimate tableau. He didn’t like it. He couldn’t imagine what either one of them was thinking. What was it about Cloud that had everything blowing up into seriously complicated messes the moment he opened his mouth?

“Agreed.” The silver-haired general turned his back on them. “Training Room Two. Fifteen minutes.”

With that, he was gone, striding off down the hall toward the training center.

Zack rounded on Cloud. “What the hell were you thinking?” he spat out, “Sephiroth will kill you. If you’re lucky. Anyway, you were supposed to stay put and give Angeal an explanation for last night. For the record, he’s not thrilled with you either.”

Cloud’s shoulders slumped, his head dropping forward so the soft blond hair obscured his face. “Yeah. I figured.” The steel was gone from his voice. He sounded tired and Zack was abruptly reminded that he’d been in the infirmary with a concussion not even twelve hours ago.

Zack sighed. Complicated was getting old. “Look, buddy, you don’t have to do this. I’ll talk to the General.” Or get Angeal to do it. That way they might actually have a chance of preventing this nonsense. “You’ll have to apologize. Profusely, mind you. And Angeal just wants you to explain what’s going on. Settle down and don’t do anything else drastic and it’ll all be okay.”

Zack discovered that for all of his suspicions about the blond, Cloud’s smile had lost none of its power to make his brain go blank. “I’ve got this, Zack.”

“I’m a big, strong boy.” Zack grinned, hoping it would hide his conflicted thoughts and break the tension between them, “You don’t have to protect me, Sunshine.”

Cloud’s face shifted, going distant and pained before his eyes focused on Zack again with that too-intense expression he had worn the night before. “Yes.” The blond stepped forward, gripping Zack’s bicep in a gesture that was disconcertingly familiar for someone he had known for less than a day. “I do.”

Zack was stunned into silence. The other man sounded like he meant it. More than meant it. His heart beat hard in his chest as he stared down into Cloud’s intent, desperate eyes. The blond’s lips parted as though he were about to say something else and Zack found himself leaning forward. His skin tingled where Cloud’s hand rested.

Cloud released him abruptly, stepping away with an anxious expression. Zack almost reached for him. He’d stood his ground against Sephiroth, no less. Why was the blond nervous around him now? Cloud turned his back on Zack, checking the battered practice sword he was carrying with professional efficiency. “I have to go. It’ll be worse if I keep him waiting.”

The blond turned and all but ran down the hallway. 

“Cloud!” Zack called after him. Too late. He didn’t think the blond was actually out of earshot, but he was certainly pretending. Zack cursed under his breath. That seemingly heartfelt confession had had unbalanced him all over again. It would be just stupid for a spy or assassin to say something like that. It was nowhere near believable. But he believed Cloud. The beautiful, mysterious, difficult young man actually thought he had to keep _Zack_ of all people safe.

Zack didn’t even know where to begin processing everything that had happened in the last ten minutes. He ran a hand through his hair. _First thing’s first._ He had to stop Cloud from getting himself killed. He pulled out his phone and dialed. It only rang once.

“Angeal. Hey man. We have a problem.” 

\--

_Stupid. Stupid. Stupid._

Cloud really wished he’d had the sense to just stay with his younger self, safe behind a locked door with a pile of rifles to clean. More than that, he wished his temper hadn’t made the trip back in time with him. Why did he have to snap at Sephiroth of all people? He might as well have just shouted out his entire unbelievable story in the central courtyard like a crazy prophet.

But the look on Zack’s face had been too much to take. Behind the carefully blank mask of military discipline, Zack had been upset. Cloud knew how hard Zack tried, how much he looked up to the General and the other Firsts. Punishing such a small lapse was wildly unfair. Zack deserved better.

None of which changed the fact that Cloud was going to have to fight Sephiroth. If he didn’t want all of them even more suspicious than they already were, he would have to lose the fight and lose it badly. Without tipping anyone off that he was throwing it on purpose.

Cloud came to a stop outside the training room entrance. He pulled in a calming breath and let it out again. He was so tired. Beyond the short night and the blow to the head, he had been fighting for more than a decade. First Wutai, then Hojo, then ShinRa in all of its various forms and leavings. And Sephiroth, over and over again.

He was twenty-eight years old. Older than Angeal and Sephiroth at the moment, certainly older than Zack, for all the whole lot of them treated Cloud like he was the teenager his records claimed. Even so, twenty-eight should have been young. It wasn’t. Not for him.

He leaned his forehead against the cool wall. He wished he’d waited for Zack, in spite of the frankly strange moment they’d had. Before, Zack had been with Aerith by the time Cloud met him. He’d gently and kindly ignored Cloud’s awkward teenage crush until Cloud figured out how to be friends instead. But Cloud was quickly realizing that his crush wasn’t a thing of the past anymore and this time Zack hadn’t met Aerith yet. The worst part was that the moment of heat between them made Cloud feel like he was betraying her.

More than anything, Cloud wanted Zack to laugh at him and ruffle his hair like he used to. He still expected Zack to take the lead and make everything better. He missed feeling completely safe with someone. It was a silly dream; a holdover from before Hojo and Jenovah had taught him just how easy it was to shatter the lives of anyone foolish enough to believe that any one person could promise safety. Safety took allies and resources. It took sacrifice.

_We won._ He reminded himself. _I won. And I’ll do it again if I have to. As many times as it takes._

When it came right down to it, Cloud wasn’t sure he could lose this match convincingly enough. Training fights and sparring were things of his distant past. His battles had all been too important to lose, the consequences too severe when he did mess up. Cloud tried and failed to push aside the memory of Aerith’s body, cold and stiff, slipping out of his arms and into the shining water. _Stupid to think of that now, when I’m going to fight him._ All of those battles had made him an effective fighter, but he had no idea how to reign himself in enough to be a believable cadet. 

He stood up straight, another plan of action occurring to him. Cloud’s DNA proved that he was who he said he was. That much couldn’t be faked and it could be compared to his younger self’s if there was any doubt. Here and now, no one could beat Sephiroth. Cloud wasn’t even sure he could. Fighting him sane and without his usual equipment wasn’t something he had done before. But if he could win, it just might be enough evidence to convince them.   
He wished he had more time to think it through, but time was up. He couldn’t disappear now and he couldn’t keep Sephiroth waiting any longer. With a sigh, Cloud checked the inadequate practice sword one final time and went to face his enemy.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fight.

Sephiroth stood at the far end of the training room. The little cadet was late. _How disappointing._ He was starting to doubt that the blond would show at all. The fire in the young man’s eyes had made him wonder if Strife actually could put up a fight. That spark had been why he’d chosen this method of dealing with that appalling bout of insubordination rather than just punishing him with the usual extra training or duties.

Sephiroth had looked up the blond’s records on a whim after running into Angeal carrying him to the infirmary. Interesting that there had been no reports of rebelliousness, no notes about the reckless, powerful will that glittered in those mako-blue eyes. There was a real fighter in there, Sephiroth was sure of it.

And yet no one responsible for Strife’s training had noticed anything. They had ranked the young man low on everything from physical strength to suitable temperament. Looking at the file, it seemed perfectly clear that Cloud Strife would never make Soldier. But the man who had snapped back at him in the hallway had potential. In that moment of temper, it had shown as clear as day. 

He sighed, feeling the start of a headache coming on. What were the training officers playing at? Soldier depended on that kind of attitude. Just look at Genesis – borderline insubordinate, quick-minded, and ruthlessly stubborn. They needed people like that.

The door slid open. Sephiroth looked up and felt his lips quirk into a sardonic smile. He shouldn’t have been surprised. Letting thoughts of Genesis cross his mind had always worked like a Summon for calling the redhead.

“I thought I saw you come this way.”

Sephiroth didn’t answer. There was nothing to say. Obviously he had come in here. He raised an eyebrow, asking without words what the other Soldier wanted. Things had been tense between them lately. Sephiroth’s ever-growing ‘hero’ status was putting serious strain on their friendship. It was jealousy, pure and simple. Sephiroth knew it. Genesis knew it. Knowing hadn’t smoothed things over.

The redhead stood studying him for a long moment. Sephiroth stayed quiet, knowing just how much his silence annoyed his friend. It served the man right for continuing to hang onto his frankly unprofessional pettiness.

“Who pissed you off?” The other swordsman said at last, leaning against the wall and folding his arms across his chest.

“Would you prefer the short list or the long one?”

Genesis chuckled and Sephiroth relaxed fractionally. Laughing usually meant Gen would avoid adding himself to that list. For a little while anyway.

“Oh, the short one, I think. I don’t have all day to waste on hearing about the usual suspects.”

“Insubordinate cadet,” Sephiroth answered briefly.

“Where did you bury the body?”

“No body yet.”

“Sweet of you. What does that have to do with you hiding in the training center? Looking to blow off steam?” The long eyelashes fluttered briefly as the redhead’s smooth voice twisted the last question into a flirtatious pass they both knew he didn’t mean. It was just another game to see if he could unsettle the silver-haired general.

“He’s waiting for me.”

Genesis came off the wall like a scalded cat, sword out and eyes flashing. Sephiroth closed his eyes for a moment, wishing for patience. Gen had never liked being surprised and he wasn’t all that easy to sneak up on, but he had obviously been paying far too much attention to their conversation to notice when the door had opened. The redhead’s unfounded grudge was going to go from an annoyance to a serious problem if it was becoming that much of a distraction. And it would be up to Sephiroth to straighten it out before it got to that point. He shook his head. That was for later. Now he had the cadet to sort out.

Cloud Strife stood there, looking like anything but a threat. His expression was almost blank. There were faint smudges under his eyes and his shoulders were tight. Sephiroth wondered if the threat of fighting a Soldier and superior had finally caught up with the cadet. Then he saw the blue eyes flicker over Genesis and the sword pointed unwaveringly in his direction and dismiss both just as quickly. Strife wasn’t afraid. Very interesting indeed.

Genesis sheathed his sword in a smooth flourish, looking back and forth between them. Sephiroth watched as he dismissed Strife’s importance nearly as quick as the blond had his. “Forgive me if I don’t stay to watch this.” He turned his back, waving a half-contemptuous farewell in Sephiroth’s general direction. “I’d rather not help with cleanup. You know. After.”

Sephiroth resisted the urge to shake his head.

\--

“He’s gonna kill him,” Zack told his mentor bluntly. _And it’s my fault. Mostly._

“No. He won’t.” Angeal answered, though he wasn’t wasting any time getting to the training center. They walked quickly, taking the familiar route side-by-side. Zack was grateful for his company. If anyone could stop Sephiroth from doing something permanent to their mystery cadet, it was Angeal.

“You didn’t see it. Cloud told him off. After calling him out.” Zack still couldn’t quite believe it.

“The boy’s in the infantry. By his own admission, he’s been wounded in combat. I’m sure Sephiroth will leave a few bruises, but he won’t lose it just because an uppity kid got snarky. He’s careful. It won’t be more than Strife can cope with.”

Zack snorted. General Sephiroth was more than anybody could cope with.

They made good time to the training room. Zack’s brain was turning over all of the various horrible possibilities this fight could result in. He shifted nervously as the door slid open. He had no idea what to expect on the other side.

The two combatants stood facing each other, swords at the ready. Zack breathed a relived sigh. They obviously hadn’t actually started yet.

Sephiroth glanced over as the door opened. His eyes met Angeal’s for a long moment. Zack chewed his lip, waiting for his mentor to say something, to stop this stupid fight. Instead, Angeal nodded at the General, catching hold of Zack’s arm and tugging him back out of the way.

“But…”

“Hush.” Angeal squeezed his arm, reassuring and warning at the same time. “We’ll watch.”

Cloud looked so hopelessly outmatched that it made Zack’s chest ache.

“Are you ready?” The General watched the cadet, his glowing green eyes intent. He held his sword loosely, balancing the long weapon with deceptive ease.

Cloud met his gaze with a level look, head tilting slightly as though he were considering the other man’s words. Zack shifted nervously. He didn’t like this. “Yes.” The blond answered quietly.

Zack barely saw Sephiroth move. He was certain there was no way Cloud could have. The flat of the General’s long sword swung towards the cadet’s unprotected shoulder. Hell with bruises. That swing looked like it would break bone when it inevitably made contact. Worse, Zack knew he was too far away to get there before the blow landed.

But then Cloud moved. His blade came up fast, catching the massive longsword and letting it slide down the length until it struck the guard with far less force than it had started with. If Zack had blinked, he was sure he would have missed the beautifully deft flip that trapped the longer blade and very nearly wrenched it out of the General’s hand. The silver-haired man jerked backwards, adjusting his grip on his weapon and looking at Cloud with suddenly calculating eyes.

“Holy…” Zack breathed. Beside him, Angeal was leaning forward, gaze abruptly intense.

They were circling each other now. Cloud stayed on the defensive, catching the brief, testing strikes Sephiroth sent his way and deflecting them. He wasn’t taking any of the blows directly. It took Zack a minute to realize the blond didn’t trust the practice sword to stand up to a direct hit.

“He’s never going to get anywhere with that weapon.” He muttered to Angeal.

“The fact that there’s even a vague possibility that he could get somewhere with a proper sword is interesting enough to be going on with, don’t you think?” Angeal’s eyes never left the fight unfolding in front of them.

“Is it the mako?” Cloud was fast and far stronger than he looked. His eyes glowed fiercely as he fought. Would extreme mako exposure be enough to give him a chance against Sephiroth?

Angeal just shook his head, staring at the scene. Cloud caught another glancing blow on his sword, let the force throw him into a roll and came up inside the arc of Sephiroth’s swing. He was abruptly too close for the General to get an easy shot at him. The blond slid further forward, switching to a flurry of quick stabs and slashes that drove the other man back. None of the blows made contact, but it was far closer than Zack had seen anyone but Angeal and Genesis get.

Sephiroth shifted his stance and Cloud broke off, pulling back out of range. Neither of them were breathing hard.

“You can stop holding back.” Cloud said softly, blue eyes distant and clear. “You’ll never beat me if you do.”

\--

It was surreal, fighting Sephiroth like this. The silver-haired man was very, very good. No surprises there. But Cloud kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. This man lacked the wild, unrestrained power of his future self. He fought cold, calculating his attacks precisely and moving like someone who was used to his opponents falling too easily. It didn’t feel right.

So Cloud goaded him. Because part of him had to see if the monster was hiding in there somewhere.

He saw the General’s jaw tighten. “Very well then.” The longsword flicked up and out in a salute. Acknowledgment, Cloud thought, of his opponent’s skill. “If that’s what you want.” His green eyes were a smoldering mix of anger and determination.

Cloud nodded, the unnatural calm of battle settling over him at last. That was better. Now they could get down to it for real.

When Sephiroth came at him this time, Cloud forgot they were in a training room. He forgot about proving himself and about their little audience standing against the wall, judging his every move. There was nothing but the fight.

It was a whirlwind, blocking blows and driving at the other man with his own. A few of each made contact. Cloud left bicep sported a long, shallow gash that he barely felt and Sephiroth bled freely from a pair of scrapes on his collarbone and chest. Cloud knew he was tiring. He hadn’t been fresh to start out with and Sephiroth had always had the advantage in strength and stamina. Cloud needed to end this soon.

Sephiroth was coming at him from the air, sword swinging down from above his silver head in a deadly arc. Forgetting his inferior weapon, Cloud widened his stance and caught the blow squarely, as he would have done with his own sword. The resultant noise sounded like a car crash.

For a moment, they were locked in a stalemate. Cloud’s arms burned but held firm. He could feel Sephiroth’s breath on his cheek and their faces were mere inches apart. Cloud stared into his opponent's cold, steady green glare. _So very different._ The monster wasn’t there.

Then the General bore down, trying to force Cloud to his knees. Cloud pushed back, refusing to give ground. His blade shuddered strangely in his hands, then shattered. He gasped as the shrapnel peppered them both. Resistance suddenly gone, he lurched towards Sephiroth’s descending blade.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to everyone for the comments and encouragement! I really appreciate the support. One of these days, my schedule may allow for regular updates, but I'm sadly nowhere near that now. Rest assured, though, I plan to keep working on this as often as I can.


	9. Chapter 9

Zack’s eyes widened as Cloud braced himself to take the General’s swing head-on. There was no way the flimsy practice sword would withstand the coming blow and Cloud seemed to have completely forgotten about the piece of crap he held. Zack couldn’t believe he actually thought he could block that shot anyway, but… there would be plenty of time to wonder about that later.

Gritting his teeth, Zack shoved himself off of the wall. _That’s enough._ He wasn’t willing to see if Cloud was fast enough or strong enough to survive the hit. Adrenaline spiked and he lunged towards the combatants as the two blades clashed together. He winced at the sound of shearing metal, locking an arm around Cloud’s chest and hoping the blond wouldn’t fight him and get them both skewered. Thankfully, the other man relaxed against him immediately, letting Zack’s momentum carry them both to the side. 

Sephiroth’s sword rang against the floor, scoring a deep gouge in the usually impervious surface. Zack had a momentary impression of wide, surprised green eyes before his shoulder hit the ground hard. Zack grunted and curled more tightly around the blond in his arms, rolling as best he could to spread out the force of the impact without squashing the smaller man. Whatever Angeal thought, Zack was pretty sure he had more experience taking a hit than Cloud did. He just hoped he hadn’t dislocated his shoulder. He hated getting joints popped back into place.

He sat up, gently setting Cloud down beside him and looking him over. The blond looked shaken and exhausted. A thin trickle of blood ran down the side of his face from a cut along his hairline. Zack frowned, brushing the blond bangs back for a closer look at the wound. “You okay there, Sunshine?”

“Yeah.” Cloud gently pushed Zack’s hand away, then smiled ruefully up at him. “Thanks, Zack.” 

Zack felt like time slowed down for a moment as it finally sank in. Cloud always called him Zack when they talked. Not Lieutenant Fair. Not Sir. His first name. Like he’d always called him that. Like they were old friends. He shook his head. That was silly. The young man just didn’t have a good sense of hierarchy… obviously. _Which reminds me…_

“What were you thinking, taking a direct hit like that? You may be damn good, but he’s twice your size, kiddo. Tactics have their place, y’know?” Zack wrinkled his nose even as the words spilled out of his mouth. _I’m starting to sound like Angeal._

Cloud’s eyes brightened, crinkling adorably at the corners as a laugh burst out of him. It lit up his whole face, stealing Zack’s breath away and making his heart pound. That was better. That was the way Cloud should look. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

As quickly as it had come, Cloud’s amusement dropped away. His face went blank and his eyes darkened. He reached up and touched Zack’s cheek lightly. Zack froze as much at the unexpected contact as at the pain the radiated from the spot Cloud’s fingers rested.

“I’m sorry,” the blond whispered, jerking his hand away and staring hard at the floor.

Zack raised an eyebrow, puzzled. He opened his mouth to ask what was wrong, but shut it again when he saw the blood on Cloud’s fingers. He ran his own hand over his cheek, assessing the damage. It stung now that he was paying attention to it, but not so badly that he was worried. “What’s the matter? I’m Soldier, remember? Give it a day or two and a little scratch like this’ll heal completely.”

Cloud glanced up at him, expression still pinched. “And if it doesn’t?”

“Then I’ll have a manly scar to remember you by?” Zack grinned when Cloud’s cheeks flushed at the teasing. He got to his feet and offered Cloud his hand. The blond took it hesitantly and Zack pulled him up. “Seriously though. Stop worrying. I’m fine.”

\--

Sephiroth watched the interplay between the two younger men. Neither was badly injured, which was a minor miracle given what had happened. Fair’s quick thinking and quicker reaction had certainly saved them all a lot of trouble. He closed his eyes for a moment and breathed slowly, pushing away the adrenaline rush the near catastrophe had caused.

He could have killed the cadet with that strike. He’d forgotten for a moment who he was fighting and why. Lost his purpose in the joy of having an opponent who could surprise him, make him work. He should have better control than that. Even with Angeal and Genesis, he preferred not to fight full-out. The risk of hurting them was too high. But he had risked it with a half-trained infantryman. Why?

“Interesting fight.” Angeal was at his side, watching the two on the floor as well.

“Too interesting,” Sephiroth conceded, sheathing his sword. His hands were still tingling from the impact of that last hit. Strife was far, far stronger than he looked.

“He isn’t what he says he is.” 

Sephiroth glanced over at his friend. Angeal’s gaze was sharp, his mouth tightening in disapproval as Zack fussed over the barely injured blond. “And what does he say he is, exactly?” Sephiroth was curious. Strife had said plenty, but next to none of it had been about himself.

Angeal frowned. “Now that you mention it, he hasn’t said much of anything.”

Sephiroth wanted to roll his eyes. Angeal was a smart, gifted leader but sometimes he let what he believed about a person get in the way of the most practical solution. “Let’s ask him, shall we?” Sephiroth wasn’t so ready to make any decisions about what Strife was or wasn’t just yet.

“Are you sure that’s wise?” Angeal shifted on his feet, looking away from his protégé and the cadet at last. “If he’s a spy of some kind and we alert him we may never find out who he works for.”

“If he is a spy, he’s the stupidest one we’ve ever come across.” Such an abysmal training record, losing his temper, starting fights with high ranking officers, flirting so terribly awkwardly with Fair… No. A proper spy would never draw that much attention to himself in that many conflicting ways.

“What if the whole point is to get close to us?” Angeal asked.

Sephiroth shook his head. “There is no way he could have known that mouthing off to me would do anything other than earn him a long career peeling potatoes. It might have endeared him to your precious student, but that would have been about it.”

“Maybe.” Angeal folded his arms across his chest. “So what do you think is up with him then?”

Sephiroth shrugged, flicking a stray lock of hair over his shoulder. He didn’t know. That was why he planned to ask. But he wasn’t going to explain that again. “Strife!” he barked sharply, gesturing for the boy to come over.

The blond’s head came up and mako-bright eyes met his own. The thread of annoyance in them nearly made Sephiroth smile. _Still not afraid._ A spy would be afraid. A spy would have heard stories, more true than not, of what Sephiroth was capable of. But this one… even after Sephiroth had nearly taken his head off, he wasn’t frightened.

Sephiroth waited without speaking, studying the young man. _It isn’t that he’s too stupid to realize that I could hurt him. He knows I can. It’s that he believes us equals._ Sephiroth felt a thrill of excitement shiver through him. He resisted raising a hand to the shallow wounds on his chest. _A little more training and we just might be._

Slowly, the blond approached, coming to a stop in front of him. The cadet’s hands were loose at his sides and his posture was straight, but not military stiff. His eyes were fixed somewhere beyond Sephiroth’s shoulder. 

“Are you my enemy?” Sephiroth asked at last. Sometimes blunt was best. It put people off balance and what they chose not to say was often as interesting as what actually came out of their mouths.

He expected instant denial. Instead, blue eyes met his and for a moment Sephiroth felt as though the blond was looking straight into his soul, seeing him, judging him. His jaw tightened as he pushed aside the feeling of being suddenly, unexpectedly exposed.

The bitter smile that quirked the cadet’s lips was a surprise. “That depends on you.”


	10. Chapter 10

Cloud was once again debating the wisdom of opening his mouth as he watched Sephiroth’s face go from assessing and a little amused to surprised and wary. The silver-haired General’s expressions were subtle, nearly invisible. Cloud bit his lip to stop an entirely inappropriate smile. Vincent was far harder to read than this younger, saner Sephiroth and Cloud had gotten very good at picking up on the gunman’s signals over the years. The two of them had a lot in common.

“Explain yourself.” Sephiorth bit out, folding his arms across his chest.

Cloud’s amusement evaporated. It seemed he had developed a real hatred for following orders over the years. His younger self wanted so badly to do everything right. The boy would obey any order given by one of these respected officers. Cloud didn’t know if it was Zack’s feelings of betrayal or his own that had broken that urge completely. As it was, he had to drop his eyes for a moment to keep from snarling at the General again.

The earlier headache was returning. Getting run over by Zack, while preferable to being stabbed, was a bit much on top of a barely-healed concussion. He wanted to explain things to Zack first, just the two of them. It would be easier and safer. Zack would at least listen before reacting. None of which changed the fact that Sephiroth was waiting for an answer and Cloud wasn’t going to lie. _How do you say ‘Hi, I’m here from your future’ in a way that anyone will actually believe?_ He took a breath and looked up again.

“I don’t want to be your enemy,” Cloud began, gazing steadily into flashing green eyes, “But there are choices you could make that will change my mind.” The door was at his back, unlocked but closed. It would take a moment for it to open if he had to escape. Angeal was beside Sephiroth and Zack off to his left. It would be seriously chancy if he had to get out quickly.

Sephiroth’s eyes narrowed. “Who are you working for? Not Wutai, obviously.”

“I’m not working for anyone.” _Except for maybe Aerith. And there’s no way I’m telling them about that. ShinRa is too interested in her already._

“Not even ShinRa?” Sephiroth’s gaze went sharp. The slight shift of tension in his shoulders had Cloud fighting back the urge to bolt. Being unarmed around the man was straining his nerves.

He forced himself to stand still, wishing he could look over at Zack instead. He let the feeling pass. Zack hadn’t been there for him to lean on in over a decade. He didn’t need the dark-haired Soldier now. But Cloud wanted him, wanted his help and support. Surprisingly, that thought centered him. _I’m here for them, not the other way around._

“Not even ShinRa.” Cloud agreed at last. He wouldn’t lie to them. If they were ever going to believe him, had had to be honest. He opened his mouth to explain further, but caught Sephiroth’s eyes sliding over to Angeal. 

The barest tilt of the silver head and Angeal moved purposefully towards Cloud, eyes hard. His heart began to pound. He felt sick. Here it was then. _Do I run or let them take me prisoner?_ He wasn’t sure. Gaea, how had he gotten himself into this mess again? If he waited a moment longer, he wouldn’t have a decision to make.

He went with what he had always known. Free, he had a chance. In a cell, he had none. With a silent apology to his younger self for exactly how badly this was going to screw up his life, Cloud lunged forward, dropping down at the last moment and driving his shoulder hard into Angeal’s hip. Some days it was a good thing the Soldiers were so much taller than he was.

Angeal staggered. Cloud slipped his foot behind the bigger man’s ankle and shoved him into Sephiroth. If they had been standing any further apart, it wouldn’t have worked. As it was, in spite of the hard impact, they both managed to keep their feet. Cloud didn’t wait to see how long it would take them to untangle themselves. He darted for the door.

It slid silently open as he approached. Relief surged through him. _Almost there._ They would have a hard time catching him in the hallways. He knew ShinRa headquarters every bit as well as they did and maybe a little better after his breaking-and-entering adventures with Avalanche.

Strong hands closed around his upper arms, lifting him slightly. He kicked back instinctively, aiming for a shin or ankle. He missed, the blow catching the side of his attacker’s boot and sliding harmlessly off. He was shoved unceremoniously forward into the wall. The impact made his ears ring and his vision blur. A heavy body pressed up against his back, pinning him to wall.

Stunned, Cloud twisted until he could look back over his shoulder. Stern, chilly blue eyes met his. “Zack?” he whispered, scarcely able to comprehend this last profound betrayal. _Perfectly reasonable._ He told himself. Zack was Soldier. He’d known Cloud for a single day. But it still felt like treachery.

“I wouldn’t move if I were you, Sunshine.” Zack’s voice was hard and cold. His sword-rough hands dug bruises into Cloud’s arms. There was no trace of gentleness in the hard lines of his body. It broke something deep in Cloud’s chest to hear that nickname spoken in that tone. _Zack. Please, no._ Cloud shuddered, the rush of emotion nearly too much to bear. _I can’t do this._ If it had been anyone else holding him, he would have fought with everything he had. He sagged against his captor. With Zack, he just couldn’t.

\--

For a moment, Zack wondered if he should have just let Cloud go. It would have been so easy to miss his grip. Then he would never have had to see that shattered look in the blond’s eyes. When Cloud whispered his name, he nearly released the smaller man then and there. He wrestled with himself for a moment, then held on more tightly. He had seen Cloud in action. The blond had gone toe-to-toe with Sephiroth and nearly knocked Angeal flat. This was not an enemy to be taken lightly.

_But is he an enemy?_ Zack still wasn’t sure. He wished the General had waited just a few minutes more. Cloud had been ready to say something else, he was sure of it. _Too late now._ By running, Cloud hadn’t exactly made himself look innocent. _Would letting himself be taken prisoner really have worked out any better for him, though?_ Zack tried to push the disloyal thought away, but he couldn’t quite shake the idea that Cloud was right to be afraid of what would happen if he let himself be interrogated and imprisoned.

Zack gritted his teeth, deciding that if he was going to have a crisis of conscience, now was not the time. Cloud had flat out admitted that his loyalty wasn’t with them. He had been doing and saying strange things since they had found him. It was wartime. They couldn’t afford to let things play out to see if they were right to be suspicious.

Zack felt the fight go out of his captive. Cloud’s eyes closed and the tight muscles slackened. Zack wondered if the younger man was trying to break his heart. Seeing the fiery fighter give in just felt wrong. And why had he? Cloud had met everyone else with an either detached calm or razor-edged anger. He didn’t seem like the type to ever give up.

Yet here he was, slumped in Zack’s arms, beautiful face tight with a pain Zack didn’t think was physical. “Cloud?” Zack asked softly, not sure what he wanted to say. He couldn’t exactly ask if the blond was okay. Zack didn’t think he had hurt him, but the slightly dazed look wasn’t reassuring. He frowned. Cloud’s safety really wasn’t something he should be worrying about given the circumstances.

“I should have remembered that no one here ever listens.” Cloud’s voice was so quiet Zack almost missed it.

Zack’s frown deepened as he tried to make sense of that. Before he could ask, he felt someone come up beside him.

“Good catch, kid.” Angeal’s voice was a little off. Zack eased off of Cloud, pulling the blond away from the wall, but keeping a tight hold on his arms. His mentor looked positively chagrined. Zack knew the feeling. It hadn’t been more than an hour ago that Cloud had tossed him down the hallway like he was a new recruit.

“So what do we do with him now?” Zack asked. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer. There was no telling how Sephiroth was going to take this latest development. 

\--

Cloud poked his head out of the door, wondering exactly how bad a sign it was that his older self hadn’t come back for him yet. On the plus side, the rifles were finished. It had been so much easier with someone to just show him how it was supposed to be done.

The hallway was empty. Lunch would be long over. If he hurried, he could get to his room and catch a quick nap before he was expected to be anywhere else. While he was there, he could write out his schedule for older him.

He took off at a jog. He still wasn’t sure what he thought about there being two of him. On the one hand, it was impossible to disbelieve older-Cloud. The man knew way too much about stuff that nobody else would care about. Lost in thought, he rounded a corner and barreled straight into a warm, unyielding body. 

Something tangled in his legs and he stumbled. He took a step forward to regain his balance, but the person he had run into staggered the same direction and they went down in a tangle. Cloud scrambled away, stammering apologies as he landed a knee in what felt like the other person’s stomach.

“Stay _still_ , damn you,” a vaguely familiar voice hissed. 

Cloud froze on his hands and knees, staring hard at the floor and wishing he could just disappear. He should know that voice. He had heard it somewhere recently, but he couldn’t quite place it. He couldn’t bring himself to look up either. His cheeks were burning. _Why me?_

The person he had accidently assaulted disentangled himself and got to his feet. The swing of a crimson coat hem across his vision sent his stomach skittering down to his toes. _Oh no. No no no. Surely not._ Slowly, Cloud raised his head. 

Genesis Rhapsodos stared back at him, pale, glowing eyes glinting with annoyance.

Forgetting the order to stay still, Cloud scrambled to his feet and saluted. “S-sorry, Sir.” His voice broke. 

“You.”

Cloud risked a puzzled glance at his superior’s face. He’d heard Genesis speak to the troops and certainly been told plenty of stories about him, but he’d never actually been introduced to the man. Of course he hadn’t. Genesis was a First. And it was even odds on whether he or Sephiroth had less patience for useless cadets. 

The blue-green eyes studied him so intently he wanted to melt into the wall and disappear. Gloved fingers shot out, catching his chin. Cloud jerked back in surprise, but the other man held firm. He turned Cloud’s face from one side to the other with surprising gentleness.

Cloud opened his mouth to ask what was going on, but a look from the redhead shut him up.

“And who, exactly, are you?” the man asked at last.

“Cadet Strife, Sir. Infantry.” He wished Genesis would take a step back, give him room to breathe. At least he hadn’t stammered this time.

“Strife. Come with me.” In a swirl of red, Genesis was striding off down the hallway, back the way he had come.

“Sir? I have duties?” He hadn’t meant it to be a question. He wasn’t supposed to be getting mixed up with any of the upper command until older him sorted out what needed to be done.

Genesis glanced back over his shoulder, pinning him with a look that threatened to peel his flesh from his bones if he wasted any more of the man’s time and kept walking.

This time, Cloud followed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to FFLove190 for the idea of Genesis running into young Cloud. It was totally the idea I needed to mix things up! Thanks as well to everyone who left comments and kudos. Y'all are the best, especially for sticking with me this long.


	11. Chapter 11

Genesis could hear the young cadet trailing along behind him - awkward, obedient, and looking astonishingly like the brat Sephiroth had decided to play with. It had only taken him a moment to see the similarities in bone structure and coloring, to take note of the more pronounced version of the slight accent that had shaded the first blond’s voice. It was the differences that were truly fascinating. Speech patterns and bearing were the most obvious besides the eyes.

At least the one following him didn’t lead with that insolent, mako-bright stare. Though, if he really thought about it, Genesis wasn’t sure that the lack made up for that travesty in the hallway. He huffed in annoyance. He didn’t care to deal with either of them any further. He was taking the clumsy little menace straight back to ShinRa’s favorite General. Let Sephiroth sort it out.

The silence stretched out as they walked. Strife’s breath was coming too fast. Nerves, no doubt. Genesis was used to that reaction to his presence. He would have ignored it if the behavior hadn’t been so noticeably lacking in the other one. “Where are you from, boy?” Nervous was good. Nervous young soldiers talked and Genesis found himself wanting information after all.

“Nibelheim, sir. It-it’s in the mountains.”

“Do you want to be Soldier, Strife?” Of course he did. It was what they were all training for.

“Yes, sir!” The boy’s heart was in his voice. It was still a shiny dream for him. 

Genesis frowned. He remembered feeling that way. Briefly. The shiny ideas hadn’t lasted much past the first few days of training. His belief in it all got more and more tarnished the longer he fought. He’d had to go looking for other things to dream about. “Why?”

“Sir?”

“Why do you want to be a Soldier so badly?”

“I want to be a hero.” The boy’s voice was soft and fervent. 

Genesis grimaced. _So naïve_. 

“Like you, Sir. And General Sepiroth,” the blond blurted out. 

It should have sounded like Strife was sucking up. It didn’t. It pissed Genesis off even more than if the young man had been trying to get on his good side. There were no heroes here. There likely never had been. Just a handful of brilliant, mako-enhanced killers and the people who pulled their strings. The fact that Angeal and Sephiroth didn’t see it didn’t change anything. They were just like this innocent, blind little boy.

At least Angeal had always been like that. Too trusting. Too noble. Genesis could forgive him that. It was part of what he loved about the man. Sephiroth on the other hand… Sephiroth didn’t really believe in ShinRa and its games. He just did what he was told because he always had. Because he seemed to believe that a corrupt order was better than the chaos it would take to change things for the better. It drove Genesis crazy.

“Good luck with that, Strife.” The Red General bit out the words, temper burning hot and bitter. “Maybe you’ll even grow out of it before it kills you.” _Or destroys you in other ways._

Behind him, the young cadet was silent.

\--

Chained to a table wasn’t good. Cloud shifted a little, testing the restraints even though he knew it was pointless. They weren’t going to take any chances with him after he’d almost gotten away from them. All three of them seemed to have decided he was an enemy. Cloud wanted to kick something.

Instead, he ground his teeth, frustrated and furious with himself. Why was he always so _stupid_ about Zack? Now that his dark-haired once-friend wasn’t glaring down at him with that horrible you-are-my-enemy look on his face, Cloud couldn’t quite believe he hadn’t fought back. He wouldn’t have hurt Zack that badly, surely. It had just felt so… wrong…

Across the table, Sephiroth leaned forward, pulling Cloud out of his thoughts. The skin around his eyes and mouth was tight for all his face was blank. The General was well and truly pissed off now unless Cloud missed his guess. The crazy version would have tried to kill him already. For a moment, Cloud thought he might just have preferred that.

“Who are you?” Sephiroth sounded bored. Cloud wasn’t fooled.

“Cloud Strife. From Nibleheim.” Cloud met the man’s eyes. “You know that already.”

“What are you doing here, Cloud Strife?”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” He really wouldn’t. Sane or not, Cloud didn’t have any illusions that his story would convince Sephiroth of anything. 

“Try me.” The cold voice sent a shiver down Cloud’s spine. The General’s interest was fast turning antagonistic. Cloud was starting to think this was going to end with him fighting his way out of the depths of ShinRa if one of the Firsts didn’t kill him in the attempt.

Cloud closed his eyes for a moment, pushing aside his pounding headache. He needed to think. He needed a way out of this that didn't end with him dead and Zack on the same path to an early grave. “No,” he said at last.

Sephiroth’s eyes sparked angrily.

“But I’ll tell Za- Lieutenant Fair.” Cloud added before the General had a chance to get even angrier. “I’ll tell him everything you want to know.” Zack was still his best chance. He knew Zack’s compassion would at least buy him some space to tell his whole story. He couldn’t use the same trick he had on his younger self. The memories of Zack’s that were still with him were incomplete and he wasn’t certain which ones wouldn’t have happened yet. Some days he still had trouble sorting out which memories belonged to each of them. But Zack would listen. 

Cloud remembered the look on Zack’s face when the man had grabbed him. Zack would _probably_ listen. He hoped. He didn’t want to think about what would happen if he couldn’t make his one-time best friend believe him.

\--

Zack shifted forward as Sephiroth came out of the room where Cloud was being held. The General’s gaze was assessing and direct. Zack met the look with his best blank face. He didn’t like any of this, least of all the niggling urge to rush into the other room to make sure Cloud was okay. It wasn’t like him to feel this way about a potential enemy.

But he kept coming back to the fact that Cloud hadn’t actually hurt anyone. He hadn’t lied to them or denied that he wasn’t necessarily on their side. He had answered their questions, treated them respectfully (mostly), and gotten himself into trouble defending Zack’s honor. It just didn’t track.

“Puppy.” Angeal’s growl clued him in that he’d missed something important. He jerked his eyes back up in time to see Sephiroth’s raised eyebrows.

“Sorry, Sir.”

“Strife says he’ll only talk to you.” Sephiroth said for what Zack feared was the second time. “Go and see what he has to say.”

“Yes, Sir.” _What in Gaea’s name?_ Why would Cloud want to talk to him? Was it that he seemed like the easiest mark? Zack almost snorted. Given the present company, that was probably true. He would have to watch himself. He was already too mixed up about the blond.

“Get whatever you can.” Angeal put a hand on his shoulder, bringing a brief smile to Zack’s face. His mentor’s faith in him was always a boost. 

Zack nodded. “I won’t let you down.” He just had to remind himself that this was a mission. He needed whatever information Cloud might have to keep Angeal and the rest of his fellow soldiers safe. Looking at it that way, it made much more sense.

It was Angeal’s turn to smile. “I know, kid. That’s why we’re sending you in there.”

Feeling clear-headed once again, Zack headed into the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You all are amazing for sticking with me after this crazy-long delay. Somehow changing jobs and moving a few hundred miles away took more time and energy than I ever imagined it would. :P I should be back to writing more regularly now. Hope you enjoy the update!


	12. Chapter 12

Cloud watched the door, tension tightening his shoulders and making his head throb harder. Sephiroth hadn’t given him an answer. After Cloud’s statement, the silver-haired General had just stared at him for a long moment before getting up and walking out without a word. That had been, by Cloud’s rough estimate, twenty minutes ago.

He tugged at the restraints again, wondering if it was worth the noise to try to get out of them. They probably wouldn’t break, but he might manage wrecking the table they were attached to. He’d still be chained, but he’d be mobile. And weaponless again.

Cloud sighed. Vincent clearly would have been a better choice. Aerith really hadn’t thought this through. Worse, he couldn’t even expect her to hear any complaints he voiced, given that she wasn’t dead anymore. A bit of a smile quirked his lips. At least there was that much silver lining on this mess. She probably hadn’t even realized that sending him back meant he would save her too if he could.

“What’s funny?”

Cloud jumped. He hadn’t heard Zack come in. The restraints caught sharply at his wrists as he reached for the sword that wasn’t there. He shook his head ruefully and twisted around so he could see the other man. Zack was leaning against the wall by the door, arms folded loosely across his chest.

Cloud took a moment to just look at him. If this continued to go badly, he might not get another chance. This time, he would fix Zack’s face in his mind. He wouldn’t lose the details to the long separation of time and death. 

Zack’s expression was guarded but not openly hostile. His uniform was still a little mussed from their earlier tumble and his sword was strapped to his back. It was strange to see him without the buster sword. His hair was styled differently than Cloud remembered it as well. It made him look younger. The tension in his broad shoulders and at the corners of his expressive mouth told Cloud he wasn’t happy. _My fault._

“Just thinking about an old friend.” Cloud answered at last.

It was Zack’s turn to sigh. He unfolded his arms and flopped into the chair on the other side of the table. “Alright, Sunshine. What’s the deal here? You gonna tell me the truth now?”

“I haven’t told you anything but the truth.” Cloud tried not to resent the implication that he had been lying.

“You haven’t told me much of anything.” Zack’s eyebrows drew together.

“Any time I try, somebody grabs me.” Cloud muttered, wondering if he was about to set off even Zack’s long-fused temper. It had been a bad day all around.

Zack snorted and held up his hands. “No grabbing this time.”

Cloud wisely chose not to point out that it wouldn’t make much difference since he was already cuffed to the damn table. “Okay.” Cloud took a deep breath, not sure where to start now that it came down to it.

Zack looked at him expectantly. Cloud looked away, heart beginning to race. _This is it._ He needed Zack to believe him. If he couldn’t convince him, Zack would probably die again. Nothing would change. Aerith would die. For a moment, he felt her cold body in his arms again. Felt Zack’s hot blood on his cheek as he watched the light fade from those beautiful eyes. 

He clenched his hands, trying to push those dark thoughts away. He chewed his lower lip, furious with himself. He wasn’t good with people, never had been. And now, the lives of those he loved depended on him figuring out how to tell an impossible story to a man who most likely thought he was a spy. Unshed tears burned in his eyes. _Stupid._ He was going to fail. How could he have thought any differently?

“Cloud.” Warm hands covered his, breaking his train of thought. 

Cloud took a shaking breath. He raised his eyes to Zack’s face. His expression was compassionate and understanding. The cold, remote Soldier was gone. Cloud felt weak with relief. This was still Zack. He could do this.

“That’s better, yeah?” Zack smiled kindly, squeezing his hands gently. “Would it help if I asked a few questions to get started?”

Cloud nodded mutely, wrestling with an entirely different tightness in his chest. How did Zack always know what to say? Cloud had called the feeling he got when he was with Zack a crush the first time around. He was older now. He knew better.

\--

Cloud’s tightly clenched fists were trembling under his hands. Zack frowned. Whatever secrets the young man was carrying, they were clearly eating him up. He had reached for Cloud’s hands out of instinct, wanting to soothe away the hurt and conflict he’d seen on the blond’s face. He’d only remembered after Cloud started to settle that he was there to interrogate the other man.

_In way too deep already._ He felt a little sick at the thought using Cloud’s emotional state to his advantage, but he had promised Angeal. Besides, if not him, they would send someone else. Someone who… Zack didn’t care to think what the next option would look like. No. This was for the best. “Why me?”

Cloud looked at him steadily, blue eyes clear and direct even though Zack could still feel him shaking. “You were my best friend.”

“What do you mean? We only met yesterday. Or very early this morning, technically.” Had it only been this morning? Yikes. What a day. Zack watched the other man carefully. Had Cloud mistaken him for someone else somehow? Maybe the concussion? He could see himself being friends – _or more_ – with the blond if things had gone differently. But they hadn’t. They weren’t friends. Zack momentarily entertained the idea that Cloud was just flat-out crazy.

Cloud smiled wanly, looking like he might have a good idea which thoughts were bouncing around Zack’s head. “I’m from the future. A possible future, anyway.”

_What?_ Zack opened his mouth and closed it again, speechless for once in his life. “That’s not…” He felt like his brain had leaked out of his ear or something. This was one of the last places he ever would have expected this conversation to go.

“Possible?” Cloud interrupted. “Yeah. Trust me. It was one hell of a surprise to me too. Turns out when you get the Lifestream and an interfering Ancient involved, the usual rules stop applying.”

“Prove it.” Zack was a little embarrassed that that line was the best he could come up with even under the circumstances. He usually knew what to say to people. Even the crazy ones.

Cloud grimaced. “How do you want me to do that?”

Zack shrugged. Cloud looked remarkably like a sane person trying to explain something he didn’t think his audience would believe. Wouldn’t a person suffering from wild delusions look less like they barely believed themselves? “Who wins that big chocobo race next week?”

Cloud blinked at him for a moment then burst out laughing. “Gaia, Zack! It’s been twelve years. How the hell would I remember that?”

“It was the best I could do on short notice.” Zack couldn’t help the sheepish grin that appeared. Delusional spy or not, Cloud really was beautiful when he laughed.

Shaking his head, Cloud finally unclenched his hands, turning them palm up so he could give Zack’s a squeeze. Zack felt his cheeks heat up as his stomach gave a little flip at the unexpected touch. He wondered if they had been – or was that would be? – more than friends. If Cloud was telling the truth.

“As it happens, I have proof.” Cloud pulled his hands away, sounding resigned.

“Oh?” Zack let his own hands fall back into his lap. He missed the contact already. _Flirting with the guy you’re supposed to be getting answers from isn’t good._ He reminded himself. He slid forward on the chair as his mind caught up to what Cloud had said. “Wait… Twelve years? You’re twenty-eight? No way you’re older than me.”

“Zack! Seriously?” The look Cloud gave him was both fond and exasperated. “That’s what you got out of this?” 

“Yup.” Zack shrugged, grinning unrepentantly at the other man. It wasn’t the only thing he’d gotten out of their discussion. Zack’s mind flicked through all of the inconsistencies in body language, behavior, and speech he’d been picking up from Cloud since the infirmary. 

He’d noticed that the blond didn’t seem at all surprised by Zack’s apparent side-track. Like he expected Zack to be exactly the way he was. From the beginning, he had treated Zack like he was a close and trusted friend. Which would explain both why he hadn’t fought back and why he had looked so shocked and hurt when Zack had grabbed him in the training room. Zack barely kept the wince off of his face. He was going to feel even worse about that if Cloud’s story panned out.

The age thing also cleared up why Cloud didn’t look or act sixteen. Too much muscle. Too much skill. Too many years of fighting experience that even talent couldn’t fake. The man reacted like a battle-tested veteran. Zack also hadn’t forgotten the descriptions he had gotten from Cloud’s roommate and his records. General Sephiroth had said the blond hadn’t made Soldier. That was ridiculous if they were talking about the man sitting in front of him. 

He stared at Cloud, mind still racing to add everything up. Zack trusted his instincts about people mostly. He didn’t believe Cloud was lying. Which meant the blond believed what he was saying. Zack was just struggling to take the mental leap to time travel being a thing. “You said something about proof?” Zack asked slowly.

Cloud nodded, face serious again. “My sixteen year old self is the cadet whose records came up when the doctor scanned me in the infirmary. He was cleaning rifles when I saw him last. If you want proof, go get him. Run a DNA test. It’ll show that we’re the same person, other than the mako in my blood.” 

“There are two of you?” Zack’s brain did a full stop at that one.

The exasperated look was back in full force. “Whatever thought comes after that one, Fair, I suggest you forget it ever crossed your mind.” Cloud growled.

The grin threatened to split Zack’s face this time. This guy knew him for sure. “Why?” he asked as innocently as he could. “What do _you_ think I’m thinking, Sunshine?”

Cloud was _so_ cute when he blushed.

\--

Cloud’s face was on fire. Why? Why was Zack flirting with him? He never had before. Was it to get him off balance? He didn’t think so. Zack was certainly more cunning than most people ever gave him credit for, but this felt more like dealing with the Zack he had known. Only this kind of teasing had generally been reserved for Aerith.

_Grow up._ Cloud told himself firmly. _He’s ten years younger than you. He’s Aerith’s. Let it go._ He was old enough that a little flirting shouldn’t affect him so badly. It wasn’t like this was the first time someone had looked at him like that. It was just the first time _Zack_ had.

“Zack?” Cloud chewed his lower lip for a moment, wondering if he should ask the question or just leave it. He sighed. He really had to know. “Do you believe me at all?”

The teasing light faded and Zack’s face settled into a rare serious expression. “Yeah. I probably shouldn’t. But I do.”

Cloud closed his eyes at the relief that swamped him. “Thank you.” He didn’t know what they would do now, but to have Zack willing to give him a chance was enough for the moment. He’d been so afraid he would have to fight alone this time.

“Why are you here, then? Still having trouble with time travel, by the way, but I’ll run with it.”

“To protect you.” Cloud answered immediately. “To keep Sephiroth from doing a few monumentally stupid things. To make sure my future never happens.” The last bit hurt a little. He had left them all. His friends. His family. His useless, dull life.

“Was it that bad?” Zack sounded curious.

Cloud looked up at him. Their eyes met and held. He wanted to tell Zack everything. He also wanted Zack to never learn how bad it could be. His arm twinged and he clenched his fist. Most of the damage from the geostigma infection had healed, but even his nerves were slow to repair themselves completely. It still ached sometimes.

“Yes. It was.” So many battles. So many dead. An entire planet to rebuild. Wounds that would never heal completely.

“Tell me.” Zack leaned back in his chair, arms folded again.

“It’s a long story and you’re going to have trouble believing a lot of it.” Cloud warned.

“Give me some credit here, Sunshine.” Zack gave him a half-smile. “I can suspend my disbelief long enough to hear what you’ve got to say.”

Cloud was afraid he was falling in love all over again. _Stop it._ He reminded himself. There were more important things than his long-standing feelings for a man who would never be his. “Okay.” He said softly, squaring his shoulders. “If nothing changes, a few months from now, Genesis is going to vanish with a company of Shinra troops in Wutai. You and Angeal will be sent after him.”

The door opened. Cloud fell silent. Angeal stood in the entrance, looking at him strangely for a long minute before turning to Zack. “Outside please, Zack.”

Zack opened his mouth to protest, but shut it again at a hard look from his mentor. He shot Cloud an apologetic frown and got to his feet.

As the door closed and locked behind the two Soldiers, Cloud let his forehead fall forward to rest on the table. _What could have possibly gone wrong now?_

**Author's Note:**

> This is a work in progress, obviously. I'm still deciding where the story is going to go - including additional pairings. Also, this will take a few chapters to earn its rating. Comments and criticism are welcome.


End file.
